The Gypsy Lore Society Book Prize in Romani Studies

…to jsou tĕžké vzpomínky Wins Gypsy Lore Society Book Prize in Romani Studies

The book …to jsou tĕžké vzpomínky (…these are painful memories) is the first winner of the Gypsy Lore Society Book Prize in Romani Studies.

The first prize-winner of the Gypsy Lore Society Book Prize in Romani Studies is the book …to jsou tĕžké vzpomínky (…these are painful memories: Recollections of Roma and Sinti about life before the war and in the protectorate) by Jana Horváthová. The nearly 800-page volume, published in the Czech language in Brno by the Museum of Romani Culture and Veterne mlyny in 2021, brings thematically sorted authentic memories of Czech and Moravian Roma and Sinti from the pre-war period and the period of the protectorate.

The Book Prize Committee decided to award the book with the Book Prize in Romani Studies as it is a fundamental and interdisciplinary study of high academic quality and on a subject of great significance for Romani Studies. The committee believes that the award will highlight the importance of the book and contribute to its international recognition and visibility.

The prize-winner was announced at the opening ceremony of the 2023 Annual Meeting of Gypsy Lore Society and Conference on Romani Studies in São Paulo. Jana Horváthová addressed the forum through a video.

Congratulations to Jana Horváthová and the Museum of Roma Culture in Brno!

About the Book Prize

The Gypsy Lore Society Book Prize in Romani Studies is awarded biannually by the Gypsy Lore Society to celebrate an outstanding academic book from around the world published during the previous two calendar years in the field of Romani Studies. The winning book will be announced as part of the Gypsy Lore Society annual meeting and Romani Studies conference in 2023 and will be publicized through Gypsy Lore Society communication channels (website, newsletter, Facebook). The winner will receive an award of 2,000 USD (note that the amount can be taxable depending on your country-specific rules).

The deadline for receipt of all nominations is 31 st December 2022. 

A book is eligible for the prize if:

•  The copyright date inside the book lists 2021 or 2022 as the date of publication.

•  The book has been published by a publishing house with a track record in academic publications.

•  The work deals with any aspect and area in the field of Romani Studies and/or communities defined as Roma, Gypsy and Travellers. Works from all disciplines will be considered.

Note that serial publications such as magazines and journals are ineligible as well as edited volumes, textbooks, and bibliographies. We do not accept nominations for books in the fields of popular science or fiction. Books by currently serving members of the Book Prize Committee or their immediate family members are not eligible.

Nominating instructions:

To nominate/apply for the Book Prize send the following to glsbookprize@gmail.com:

1.      A one-page letter underlining the outstanding nature and academic qualities of the nominated book;

2.  Short bio of the author(s);

3.      In case of open access and e-publications – a link or an e-copy of the book. In case of books in print format, send either a pdf file of the Accepted Author Version of the book OR four copies of the book to Sofiya Zahova, Njálsgata 69, Reykjavík 101, Iceland. If the latter, include “book prize nomination, non-commercial parcel” in the description of your package containing the book copies. Your nomination letter must be sent by email until 31st December 2022 at the latest and the post stamp on the physical copies´ parcel should indicate a date no later than that date (31 December 2022). Please note that your nomination will not be considered unless an electronic copy or print copies of the book have been received.

After nominations are received

The Prize Committee verifies if all nominations correspond to the eligibility criteria listed above. All books that correspond to the formal requirements are reviewed by members of the committee and external experts with relevant backgrounds in the field of the book under consideration. All nominated eligible books are carefully judged and based on the evaluation process, a final decision is taken by the Book Prize Committee. The decision is officially announced at the Gypsy Lore Society annual conference in 2023 (usually taking place in the second half of the year).

For questions, please contact the Committee´s Chair, Sofiya Zahova (zahova@hi.is).

Prize Committee Members:

Ion Duminica

Liliyana Kovatcheva

Sofiya Zahova

Viorel Achim

Zdeněk Uherek