McGill University has revealed the finalists for the 2026 Cundill History Prize, given annually to a book “that embodies historical scholarship, originality, literary quality and broad appeal.”
Jonathan Cheng made the shortlist for Korean Messiah: Kim II Sung and the Christian Roots of North Korea’s Personality Cult, which tells the story of the Kim dynasty and the last 80 years of the dictatorship. In a starred review, a Kirkus critic said the book offers “fascinating insight into the birth of the moral equivalent of a totalitarian theocracy.”
Alexander Lee was named a finalist for The First Ghetto: Venice and the Jews, about the experience of Jewish people in the early 16th century in the Italian city. A Kirkus reviewer called the book “a richly researched history of Italian Jewry and its will to live on.”
Beth Lew-Williams was shortlisted for John Doe Chinaman: A Forgotten History of Chinese Life Under American Racial Law, which chronicles the laws passed in the U.S. targeting Chinese people beginning in the 19th century. The book previously won the Bancroft Prize.
Emily Greenwood, chair of the prize jury, said in a statement, “This year’s three finalists have written vivid historical accounts of complex subjects, and all three books have strong resonance and staying power.”
The Cundill History Prize, which comes with a cash award of $75,000, was established in 2008. Previous winners include Lisa Jardine for Going Dutch: How England Plundered Holland’s Glory; Anne Applebaum for Iron Curtain: The Crushing of Eastern Europe, 1944–1956; and Lyndal Roper for Summer of Fire and Blood: The German Peasants’ War.
The winner of this year’s prize will be announced at an event in Montreal on Oct. 23.
Michael Schaub is a contributing writer.
