The David J. Langum Sr. Prizes are American

literary award A literary award or literary prize is an award presented in recognition of a particularly lauded literary piece or body of work. It is normally presented to an author. Organizations Most literary awards come with a corresponding award ceremony. ...

s for

historical fiction Historical fiction is a literary genre in which the plot takes place in a setting related to the past events, but is fictional. Although the term is commonly used as a synonym for historical fiction literature, it can also be applied to other ...

, biography and legal history. They have been awarded annually since 2001 by the Langum Charitable Trust. The Langum Prize for American Historical Fiction (or David J. Langum, Sr. Prize in American Historical Fiction) is awarded for

and given since 2003.David J. Langum, Sr. Prize in American Historical Fiction
, official website The prize is for $1,000 and is awarded annually at

Wheeler Theater Wheeler may refer to: Places United States * Wheeler, Alabama, an unincorporated community * Wheeler, Arkansas, an unincorporated community * Wheeler, California, an unincorporated community * Wheeler, Illinois, a village * Wheeler, Indiana, a c ...

Port Townsend, Washington Port Townsend is a city on the Quimper Peninsula in Jefferson County, Washington, United States. The population was 10,148 at the 2020 United States Census. It is the county seat and only incorporated city of Jefferson County. In addition ...

, in conjunction with Centrum Foundation’s annual Writers Conference. The trust asks publishers to submit titles over the course of the year. Titles submitted are pre-selected by the trust based on what the trust believes would be appropriate for the prize. The David J. Langum, Sr. Prize in American Legal History or Biography (or Langum Prize for Legal History or Biography) is awarded for legal history or biography and given since 2001.David J. Langum, Sr. Prize in American Legal History or Biography
, official website The prize is for $1,000 and is awarded annually at the

Birmingham Public Library The Birmingham Public Library, one of the largest library systems in the southeastern United States, consists of 19 branches and a main or central library located in downtown Birmingham, Alabama. The main library is composed of two buildings, th ...

Birmingham, Alabama Birmingham ( ) is a city in the north central region of the U.S. state of Alabama. Birmingham is the seat of Jefferson County, Alabama's most populous county. As of the 2021 census estimates, Birmingham had a population of 197,575, down 1% fr ...

. The ceremony is sponsored by the Friends of the Birmingham Public Library and the Birmingham Public Library.

Honorees

Past winners and honorees of the David J. Langum Sr. Prizes. *2016 (Historical Fiction Prize): Michele Moore, ''The Cigar Factory'' **(Historical Fiction Finalist): Chad Dundas, ''Champion of the World'' *2016 (Legal History/Biography): Risa Goluboff, ''Vagrant Nation: Police Power, Constitutional Change, and the Making of the 1960s'' **(Legal History/Biography Finalist): Edward B. Foley, ''Ballot Battles: The History of Disputed Elections in the United States'' **(Legal History/Biography Finalist):

Charles F. Hobson Charles is a masculine given name predominantly found in English and French speaking countries. It is from the French form ''Charles'' of the Proto-Germanic name (in runic alphabet) or ''*karilaz'' (in Latin alphabet), whose meaning was " ...

, ''The Great Yazoo Lands Sale: The Case of Fletcher v. Peck'' ---- *2015 (Historical Fiction Prize):

Faith Sullivan Faith, derived from Latin ''fides'' and Old French ''feid'', is confidence or trust in a person, thing, or In the context of religion, one can define faith as "belief in God or in the doctrines or teachings of religion". Religious people often ...

, ''Good Night, Mr. Wodehouse'' **(Historical Fiction Honorable Mention):

Meg Waite Clayton Meg Waite Clayton (born January 1, 1959 in Washington, D.C.) is an American novelist. Biography A graduate of University of Michigan Law School, Clayton also earned bachelor's degrees in History and Psychology from the University of Michigan. ...

, ''The Race for Paris'' *2015 (Legal History/Biography):

Leonard L. Richards Leonard or ''Leo'' is a common English language, English masculine given name and a surname. The given name and surname originate from the Old High German ''Leonhard'' containing the prefix ''levon'' ("lion") from the Greek wikiwikiweb:Λέων, � ...

, ''Who Freed the Slaves? The Fight over the Thirteenth Amendment'' **(Legal History/Biography Honorable Mention):

Nancy Woloch Nancy Woloch (born 1940) is an American historian. Her book ''A Class by Herself: Protective Laws for Women Workers, 1890s-1990s'' won the 2016 Philip Taft Labor History Book Award and the William G. Bowen Award for the Outstanding Book on Labor an ...

, ''A Class by Herself: Protective Laws for Women Workers, 1890s-1990s'' ---- *2014 (Historical Fiction Prize):

Kimberly Elkins Kimberly or Kimberley may refer to: Places and historical events Australia * Kimberley (Western Australia) ** Roman Catholic Diocese of Kimberley * Kimberley Warm Springs, Tasmania * Kimberley, Tasmania a small town * County of Kimberley, a c ...

, ''What is Visible'' **(Historical Fiction Honorable Mention): Catherine Bell, ''Rush of Shadows'' **(Historical Fiction Director's Mention):

Laila Lalami Laila Lalami ( ar, ليلى العلمي, born 1968) is a Moroccan-American novelist, essayist, and professor. After earning her ''Licence de lettres'' degree in Morocco, she received a fellowship to study in the United Kingdom (UK), where she e ...

, ''

The Moor's Account ''The Moor's Account'' is a novel by Laila Lalami. It was a Pulitzer Prize for Fiction finalist in 2015. ''The Moor's Account'' is a fictional memoir of Estebanico, the Moroccan slave who survived the Narvaez expedition and accompanied Cabeza ...

'' *2014 (Legal History/Biography):

Nathaniel Grow , nickname = {{Plainlist, * Nat * Nate , footnotes = Nathaniel is an English variant of the biblical Greek name Nathanael. People with the name Nathaniel * Nathaniel Archibald (1952–2018), American basketball player * Nat ...

, ''Baseball on Trial: The Origin of Baseball's Antitrust Exemption'' **(Legal History/Biography Honorable Mention):

Lori Sturdevant Lori may refer to: *Lori (given name) *Lori Province, Armenia *Lori Fortress, a fortress in Armenia *Lori Berd, a village in Armenia *Kingdom of Tashir-Dzoraget, a historical Armenian kingdom from c. 980 to 1240, sometimes known as the Kingdom of L ...

, ''Her Honor: Rosalie Wahl and the Minnesota Women's Movement'' ---- *2013 (Historical Fiction Prize):

Gary Schanbacher Gary may refer to: *Gary (given name), a common masculine given name, including a list of people and fictional characters with the name *Gary, Indiana, the largest city named Gary Places ;Iran *Gary, Iran, Sistan and Baluchestan Province ;Unit ...

, ''Crossing Purgatory'' **(Historical Fiction Honorable Mention):

Christine Wade Alien Sex Fiend are an English gothic rock band, formed in London, England in 1982. The current lineup of the band consists of Nik Fiend and Mrs Fiend. Five of the group's albums and 12 of their singles reached top 20 positions in the UK indie ...

, ''Seven Locks'' *2013 (Legal History/Biography):

Whitney Strub Whitney may refer to: Film and television * ''Whitney'' (2015 film), a Whitney Houston biopic starring Yaya DaCosta * ''Whitney'' (2018 film), a documentary about Whitney Houston * ''Whitney'' (TV series), an American sitcom that premiered i ...

, ''Obscenity Rules: Roth v. United States and the Long Struggle over Sexual Expression'' **(Legal History/Biography Honorable Mention):

Alexander Wohl Alexander is a male given name. The most prominent bearer of the name is Alexander the Great, the king of the Ancient Greek kingdom of Macedonia who created one of the largest empires in ancient history. Variants listed here are Aleksandar, Al ...

, ''Father, Son, and Constitution: How Justice Tom Clark and Attorney General Ramsey Clark Shaped American Democracy'' ---- *2012 (Historical Fiction Prize): Ron Rash, ''The Cove'' **(Historical Fiction Honorable Mention):

Steve Wiegenstein ''yes'Steve is a masculine given name, usually a short form (hypocorism) of Steven or Stephen Notable people with the name include: steve jops * Steve Abbott (disambiguation), several people * Steve Adams (disambiguation), several people * Steve ...

, ''Slant of Light: A Novel of Utopian Dreams and Civil War'' *2012 (Legal History/Biography): Samuel Walker, ''Presidents and Civil Liberties from Wilson to Obama: A Story of Poor Custodians'' **(Legal History/Biography Honorable Mention):

R. Kent Newmyer R. or r. may refer to: * ''Reign'', the period of time during which an Emperor, king, queen, etc., is ruler. * ''Rex'', abbreviated as R., the Latin word meaning King * ''Regina'', abbreviated as R., the Latin word meaning Queen * or , abbreviate ...

, ''The Treason Trial of Aaron Burr: Law, Politics, and the Character Wars of the New Nation'' ---- *2011 (Historical Fiction Prize):

Julie Otsuka Julie Otsuka is an American author. Biography Otsuka was born in 1962, in Palo Alto, California. Her father worked as an aerospace engineer and her mother worked as a lab technician before she gave birth to Otsuka. Both of her parents were of Ja ...

, ''

The Buddha in the Attic ''The Buddha in the Attic'' is a 2011 novel written by American author Julie Otsuka about Japanese picture brides immigrating to America in the early 1900s. It is Otsuka's second novel. The novel was published in the United States in August 2011 ...

'' ** (Historical Fiction Honorable Mention): Geraldine Brooks, '' Caleb's Crossing'' ** (Historical Fiction Director’s Mention):

John M. Archer John is a common English name and surname: * John (given name) * John (surname) John may also refer to: New Testament Works * Gospel of John, a title often shortened to John * First Epistle of John, often shortened to 1 John * Second E ...

, ''After the Rain: A Novel of War and Coming Home'' ** (Historical Fiction Director’s Mention):

James Hoggard James is a common English language surname and given name: *James (name), the typically masculine first name James * James (surname), various people with the last name James James or James City may also refer to: People * King James (disambiguati ...

, ''The Mayor’s Daughter'' ** (Historical Fiction Director’s Mention):

Hugh Nissenson Hugh Nissenson (March 10, 1933 in New York City – December 13, 2013 in Manhattan) was an American author. Nissenson drew heavily on his Jewish background in his writing, exploring themes of mysticism, Israel, and the Holocaust. Biography Hu ...

, ''The Pilgrim: A Novel'' ** (Historical Fiction Director’s Mention):

Sheila Ortiz-Taylor Sheila (alternatively spelled Shelagh and Sheelagh) is a common feminine given name, derived from the Irish name ''Síle'', which is believed to be a Gaelic form of the Latin name Caelia, the feminine form of the Roman clan name Caelius, mean ...

, ''Homestead'' ** (Historical Fiction Director’s Mention):

Shirley Reva Vernick Shirley may refer to: Arts and entertainment * ''Shirley'' (novel), an 1849 novel by Charlotte Brontë * ''Shirley'' (1922 film), a British silent film * ''Shirley'' (2020 film), an American film * ''Shirley'' (album), a 1961 album by Shirley Bas ...

, ''The Blood Lie'' *2011 (Legal History):

Stuart Banner Stuart Alan Banner (born November 20, 1963) is an American legal historian and the Norman Abrams Professor of Law at the UCLA School of Law. Banner also directs UCLA's Supreme Court Clinic, which offers students the opportunity to work on real case ...

, ''American Property: A History of How, Why, and What We Own'' *2011 (Legal History):

Joanna L. Grossman Joanna is a feminine given name deriving from from he, יוֹחָנָה, translit=Yôḥānāh, lit=God is gracious. Variants in English include Joan, Joann, Joanne, and Johanna. Other forms of the name in English are Jan, Jane, Janet, Janice, ...

and Lawrence M. Friedman, ''Inside the Castle: Law and the Family in 20th Century America'' ---- *2010 (Historical Fiction Prize):

Ann Weisgarber Anne, alternatively spelled Ann, is a form of the Latin female given name Anna. This in turn is a representation of the Hebrew Hannah, which means 'favour' or 'grace'. Related names include Annie. Anne is sometimes used as a male name in the ...

, ''

The Personal History of Rachel DuPree ''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things that are already or about to be mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in En ...

'' (Viking) ** (Historical Fiction Honorable Mention):

Robin Oliveira Robin Oliveira (born 1954) is an American author, former literary editor, and nurse, who is most known for her debut novel, ''My Name is Mary Sutter'', published in 2010. Her second novel, ''I Always Loved You,'' was published by Penguin on Febr ...

, ''My Name is Mary Sutter'' (Viking) ** (Historical Fiction Director’s Mention):

Kelli Carmean Kelli may refer to: Places *Kelli, Drama, a former village in the Drama regional unit, Greece *Kelli, Florina, a village in the Florina regional unit, Greece Notable people Surname *Keri Kelli (born 1971), American guitarist Given name *Kell ...

, ''Creekside: An Archeological Novel'' (University of Alabama Press) ** (Historical Fiction Director’s Mention): Jackson Taylor, ''The Blue Orchard'' (Simon & Schuster) *2010 (Legal History):

Stephen C. Neff Stephen or Steven is a common English first name. It is particularly significant to Christians, as it belonged to Saint Stephen ( grc-gre, Στέφανος ), an early disciple and deacon who, according to the Book of Acts, was stoned to death; h ...

, ''Justice in Blue and Gray: A Legal History of the Civil War'' ---- *2009 (Historical Fiction Prize):

Edward Rutherfurd Edward Rutherfurd is a pen name for Francis Edward Wintle (born in 1948). He is best known as a writer of epic historical novels that span long periods of history but are set in particular places. His debut novel, '' Sarum'', set the pattern fo ...

, '' New York: The Novel'' (Doubleday). ** (Historical Fiction Director’s Mention): Elizabeth Cobbs Hoffman, ''In the Lion's Den: A Novel of the Civil War'' (iUniverse) ** (Historical Fiction Director’s Mention):

Jamie Ford Jamie Ford (born July 9, 1968) is an American author. He is best known for his debut novel, ''Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet.'' The book spent 130 weeks on the New York Times Bestseller List, and was also awarded best "Adult Fiction" b ...

, ''

Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet ''Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet'' is an historical novel by Jamie Ford. The story is told in two parallel storylines, one following 12-year-old Henry Lee's experiences during the Second World War, and the other depicting Henry 44 years ...

'' (Random House) *2009 (Legal History): No Award ---- *2008 (Historical Fiction Prize):

Kathleen Kent Kathleen may refer to: People * Kathleen (given name) * Kathleen (singer), Canadian pop singer Places * Kathleen, Alberta, Canada * Kathleen, Georgia, United States * Kathleen, Florida, United States * Kathleen High School (Lakeland, Florida), ...

, ''

The Heretic’s Daughter ''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things that are already or about to be mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in En ...

'' (Little, Brown) ** (Historical Fiction Honorable Mention):

Elisabeth Payne Rosen Elizabeth or Elisabeth may refer to: People * Elizabeth (given name), a female given name (including people with that name) * Elizabeth (biblical figure), mother of John the Baptist Ships * HMS Elizabeth, HMS ''Elizabeth'', several ships * Elisa ...

, ''Hallam’s War'' (Unbridled Books) ** (Historical Fiction Director’s Mention):

Jack Fuller Jack William Fuller (October 21, 1946 – June 21, 2016)Biography at th was an American journalist who spent nearly forty years working in newspapers and was the author of seven novels and two books on journalism. Biography Fuller was born in Ch ...

, ''Abbeville'' (Unbridled Books) *2008 (Legal History):

Ernest Freeberg Ernest Freeberg is an American historian in 19th and 20th-century American culture, currently a Distinguished Humanities Professor at the University of Tennessee and previously the Lindsay Young Professor, Beaman Professor, and Head of the Depa ...

, ''Democracy’s Prisoner: Eugene V. Debs, the Great War, and the Right to Dissent'' (Harvard University Press) ** (Legal History Honorable Mention):

Peter Charles Hoffer Peter may refer to: People * List of people named Peter, a list of people and fictional characters with the given name * Peter (given name) ** Saint Peter (died 60s), apostle of Jesus, leader of the early Christian Church * Peter (surname), a ...

, ''The Treason Trials of Aaron Burr'' (University Press of Kansas) ---- *2007 (Historical Fiction Prize):

Kurt Andersen Kurt Andersen (born August 22, 1954) is an American writer and was the host of the Peabody-winning public radio program '' Studio 360'', a production of Public Radio International, ''Slate'', and WNYC. Early life and education Andersen was ...

, ''

Heyday Heyday may refer to: * Titled works: ** Music: *** ''Heyday'' (The Church album), a 1986 album by the Church *** ''Heyday'' (Fairport Convention album), a 1987 album by Fairport Convention ** ''Heyday'' (novel), a historical novel by Kurt Ander ...

'' (Random House) *2007 (Legal History):

Bruce J. Dierenfield The English language name Bruce arrived in Scotland with the Normans, from the place name Brix, Manche in Normandy, France, meaning "the willowlands". Initially promulgated via the descendants of king Robert the Bruce (1274−1329), it has been a ...

, ''The Battle over School Prayer: How Engel v. Vitale Changed America'' (University Press of Kansas) ---- *2006 (Historical Fiction Prize):

Sheldon Russell Sheldon may refer to: * Sheldon (name), a given name and a surname, and a list of people with the name Places Australia *Sheldon, Queensland *Sheldon Forest, New South Wales United Kingdom *Sheldon, Derbyshire, England *Sheldon, Devon, England *S ...

, '' Dreams to Dust: A Tale of the Oklahoma Land Rush'' (University of Oklahoma Press) *2006 (Legal History):

Saul Cornell Saul Cornell, is the Paul and Diane Guenther Chair in American History at Fordham University. He was Professor of history at Ohio State University and the Director of the Second Amendment Research Center at the John Glenn Institute. Life He re ...

, ''A Well-Regulated Militia: The Founding Fathers and the Origins of Gun Control in America'' (Oxford University Press) ** (Legal History Honorable Mention):

Carolyn N. Long Carolyn is a female given name, a variant of Caroline. Other spellings include Karolyn, Carolyne, Carolynn or Carolynne. Caroline itself is one of the feminine forms of Charles. List of Notable People *Carolyn Bennett (born 1950), Canadian pol ...

, ''Mapp v. Ohio: Guarding against Unreasonable Searches and Seizures'' (University Press of Kansas) ---- *2005 (Historical Fiction Prize): Peter Donahue, '' Madison House: A Novel'' (Hawthorne Books) *2005 (Legal History):

Richard J. Ellis Richard is a male given name. It originates, via Old French, from Old Frankish and is a compound of the words descending from Proto-Germanic ''*rīk-'' 'ruler, leader, king' and ''*hardu-'' 'strong, brave, hardy', and it therefore means 'stron ...

, ''To the Flag: The Unlikely History of the Pledge of Allegiance'' (University Press of Kansas) ** (Legal History Honorable Mention):

John W. Johnson John W. Johnson (1774June 1, 1854) was an American pioneer, politician, and fur trader. He was the 3rd mayor of St. Louis, Missouri, serving from 1833 to 1835. Biography Born in Maryland, Johnson came west in 1808, venturing into the vast Louisi ...

, ''Griswold v. Connecticut: Birth Control and the Constitutional Right of Privacy'' (Kansas University Press ---- *2004 (Historical Fiction Prize):

Linda Busby Parker Linda may refer to: As a name * Linda (given name), a female given name (including a list of people and fictional characters so named) * Linda (singer) (born 1977), stage name of Svetlana Geiman, a Russian singer * Anita Linda (born Alice Lake ...

, '' Seven Laurels: A Novel'' (Southeast Missouri State University Press) ** (Historical Fiction Honorable Mention):

Sanora Babb Sanora Babb (April 21, 1907 – December 31, 2005) was an American novelist, poet, and literary editor. Early life and career Sanora Babb was born in Otoe territory in what is now Oklahoma, though neither her mother nor father were of the Otoe g ...

, ''Whose Names Are Unknown: A Novel'' (University of Oklahoma Press) *2004 (Legal History):

John M. Ferren John Maxwell Ferren (born July 21, 1937) is a Senior associate judge of the District of Columbia Court of Appeals. He served as an associate judge on the court from 1977 to 1997, left to serve as corporation counsel for the District of Columbia ...

, ''Salt of the Earth, Conscience of the Court: The Story of Justice Wiley Rutledge'' (University of North Carolina Press) ---- *2003 (Historical Fiction Prize):

Robert J. Begiebing The name Robert is an ancient Germanic given name, from Proto-Germanic "fame" and "bright" (''Hrōþiberhtaz''). Compare Old Dutch ''Robrecht'' and Old High German ''Hrodebert'' (a compound of '' Hruod'' ( non, Hróðr) "fame, glory, honou ...

, '' Rebecca Wentworth’s Distraction: A Novel'' (University Press of New England) *2003 (Legal History):

Robert J. Cottrol Robert J. Cottrol (born January 18, 1949) is an American Jurist, legal scholar and Legal history, legal historian. Career Cottrol holds a chair in the George Washington University Law School, George Washington University (GWU) Law School and is al ...

Raymond T. Diamond Raymond is a male given name. It was borrowed into English from French (older French spellings were Reimund and Raimund, whereas the modern English and French spellings are identical). It originated as the Germanic ᚱᚨᚷᛁᚾᛗᚢᚾᛞ ( ...

, and

Leland B. Ware Leland may refer to: Places United States * Leland, Illinois, a village * Leland, Iowa, a city * Leland, Michigan, an unincorporated community and census-designated place * Leland, Mississippi, a city * Leland, North Carolina, a town * Leland, ...

, ''Brown v. Board of Education: Caste, Culture, and the Constitution'' (University Press of Kansas) "Honors." (2004, Mar 21). ''Advocate'' aton Rouge, La Last accessed Oct. 8, 2012 ---- *2002 (Historical Fiction Prize): No Award *2002 (Legal History):

, ''The Death Penalty: An American History'' (Harvard University Press) *2002 (Legal History): Lawrence M. Friedman, ''American Law in the 20th Century'' (Yale University Press) ---- *2001 (Historical Fiction Prize): No Award *2001 (Legal History):

Elizabeth Urban Alexander Elizabeth or Elisabeth may refer to: People * Elizabeth (given name), a female given name (including people with that name) * Elizabeth (biblical figure), mother of John the Baptist Ships * HMS ''Elizabeth'', several ships * ''Elisabeth'' (sch ...

, ''Notorious Woman: The Celebrated Case of Myra Clark Gaines'' (Louisiana State University Press)

References

{{Reflist

External links

David J. Langum, Sr. Prize in American Legal History or Biography
official website
David J. Langum, Sr. Prize in American Historical Fiction
official website
Past winners
Awards established in 2001 American literary awards 2001 establishments in the United States