Duff Cooper Prize

The Duff Cooper Prize (currently known as the Pol Roger Duff Cooper Prize) is a literary prize awarded annually for the best work of history, biography, political science or occasionally poetry, published in English or French. The prize was established in honour of Duff Cooper, a British diplomat, Cabinet member and author. The prize was first awarded in 1956 to Alan Moorehead for his Gallipoli. At present, the winner receives a first edition copy of Duff Cooper's autobiography Old Men Forget and a cheque for £5,000.

Overview

After Duff Cooper's death in 1954, a group of his friends decided to establish a trust to endow a literary prize in his memory. The trust appoints five judges. Two of them are ex officio: the Warden of New College, Oxford, and a member of Duff Cooper's family (initially, Duff Cooper's son, John Julius Norwich for the first thirty-six years, and then John Julius' daughter, Artemis Cooper). The other three judges appointed by the trust serve for five years and they appoint their own successors. The first three judges were Maurice Bowra, Cyril Connolly and Raymond Mortimer. At present, the three appointed judges are biographer Mark Amory, historian Susan Brigden, and TLS history editor David Horspool.

From 2013, the prize has been known as The Pol Roger Duff Cooper Prize, following a sponsorship by Pol Roger.^[1]

Winners

Duff Cooper Prize winners^[2]
Year	Author	Title	Ref.
1956	Alan Moorehead	Gallipoli
1957	Lawrence Durrell	Bitter Lemons
1958	John Betjeman	Collected Poems
1959	Patrick Leigh Fermor	Mani: Travels in the Southern Peloponnese
1960	Andrew Young	Collected Poems
1961	Jocelyn Baines	Joseph Conrad
1962	Michael Howard	The Franco-Prussian War
1963	Aileen Ward	John Keats: The Making of a Poet	^[3]^[4]
1964	Ivan Morris	The World of the Shining Prince
1965	George Painter	Marcel Proust
1966	Nirad C. Chaudhuri	The Continent of Circe	^[5]
1967	J. A. Baker	The Peregrine	^[6]
1968	Roy Fuller	New Poems
1969	John Gross	The Man of Letters
1970	Enid McLeod	Charles of Orleans: Prince & Poet
1971	Geoffrey Grigson	Discoveries of Bones and Stones
1972	Quentin Bell	Virginia Woolf
1973	Robin Lane Fox	Alexander the Great
1974	Jon Stallworthy	Wilfred Owen
1975	Seamus Heaney	North
1976	Denis Mack Smith	Mussolini's Roman Empire
1977	E. R. Dodds	Missing Persons
1978	Mark Girouard	Life in the English Country House
1979	Geoffrey Hill	Tenebrae
1980	Robert Bernard Martin	Tennyson, The Unquiet Heart
1981	Victoria Glendinning	Edith Sitwell: A Unicorn Among the Lions
1982	Richard Ellmann	James Joyce
1983	Peter Porter	Collected Poems
1984	Hilary Spurling	Ivy When Young: The Early Life of Ivy Compton-Burnett 1884-1919
1985	Ann Thwaite	Edmund Gosse: A Literary Landscape,1849,1928
1986	Alan Crawford	C. R. Ashbee: Architect, Designer, and Romantic Socialist
1987	Robert Hughes	The Fatal Shore
1988	Humphrey Carpenter	A Serious Character: The Life of Ezra Pound
1989	Ian Gibson	Federico Garcia Lorca
1990	Hugh Cecil and Mirabel Cecil	Clever Hearts: Desmond and Molly Maccarthy: A Biography
1991	Ray Monk	Ludwig Wittgenstein: The Duty of Genius
1992	Peter Hennessy	Never Again: Britain, 1945-1951
1993	John Keegan	A History of Warfare
1994	David Gilmour	Curzon: Imperial Statesman
1995	Gitta Sereny	Albert Speer: His Battle with Truth
1996	Diarmaid MacCulloch	Thomas Cranmer: A Life
1997	James Buchan	Frozen Desire: An Inquiry into the Meaning of Money
1998	Richard Holmes	Coleridge: Darker Reflections
1999	Adam Hochschild	King Leopold's Ghost: A Story of Greed, Terror and Heroism in Colonial Africa
2000	Robert Skidelsky	John Maynard Keynes
2001	Margaret MacMillan	Peacemakers: The Paris Peace Conference of 1919 and Its Attempt to End War	^[7]
2002	Jane Ridley	The Architect and His Wife	^[8]
2003	Anne Applebaum	Gulag: A History	^[9]
2004	Mark Mazower	Salonica, City of Ghosts: Christians, Muslims and Jews, 1430-1950	^[10]
2005	Maya Jasanoff	Edge of Empire: Conquest and Collecting on the Eastern Frontiers of the British Empire	^[11]
2006	William Dalrymple	The Last Mughal, The Fall of a Dynasty, Delhi 1857	^[12]
2007	Graham Robb	The Discovery of France
2008	Kai Bird and Martin J. Sherwin	American Prometheus: The Triumph and Tragedy of J. Robert Oppenheimer	^[13]
2009	Robert Service	Trotsky: A Biography	^[14]
2010	Sarah Bakewell	How to Live: A Life of Montaigne in One Question and Twenty Attempts at An Answer	^[15]
2011	Robert Douglas-Fairhurst	Becoming Dickens: The Invention of a Novelist	^[16]
2012	Sue Prideaux	Strindberg: A Life	^[17]^[18]
2013	Lucy Hughes-Hallett	The Pike: Gabriele D'Annunzio, Poet, Seducer and Preacher of War	^[19]
2014	Patrick McGuinness	Other People's Countries: A Journey into Memory
2015	Ian Bostridge	Schubert's Winter Journey: Anatomy of an Obsession	^[20]^[21]
2016	Christopher de Hamel	Meetings with Remarkable Manuscripts	^[22]^[23]
2017	Anne Applebaum	Red Famine: Stalin's War on Ukraine	^[24]^[25]
2018	Julian Jackson	A Certain Idea of France: The Life of Charles De Gaulle	^[26]
2019	John Barton	A History of the Bible	^[27]^[28]
2020	Judith Herrin	Ravenna: Capital of Empire, Crucible of Empire	^[29]^[30]
2021	Mark Mazower	The Greek Revolution: 1821 and the Making of Modern Europe	^[31]
2022	Anna Keay	The Restless Republic: Britain without a Crown	^[32]^[33]
2023	Julian Jackson	France on Trial: The Case of Marshal Pétain	^[34]
2024	Sue Prideaux	Wild Thing: A Life of Paul Gauguin	^[35]

Notes

^ "Champagne days for winners of the Duff Cooper Prize". London Evening Standard. February 21, 2013. Archived from the original on May 26, 2020. Retrieved August 26, 2013.
^ "1956 - 2016". The Pol Roger Duff Cooper Prize. Archived from the original on 2023-03-12. Retrieved 2023-03-12.
^ "Obituary Notes: Aileen Ward; Steve Wolfe". Shelf Awareness. 2016-06-14. Archived from the original on 2023-03-12. Retrieved 2023-03-12.
^ "Woman Is First From U.S. To Win Duff Cooper Prize". The New York Times. 1963-12-12. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on 2023-03-12. Retrieved 2023-03-12.
^ "Famous English author Nirad C Chaudhuri was the first Indian to receive this award". India Today. 2018-11-23. Archived from the original on 2022-05-16. Retrieved 2023-03-12.
^ "J. A. Baker". Little Toller Books. Retrieved 2023-03-12.
^ "Margaret Olwen MacMillan". Global Affairs Canada. 2019-04-25. Archived from the original on 2022-09-16. Retrieved 2023-03-12.
^ "Lutyens Biography Wins The Duff Cooper Prize". The Lutyens Trust. Summer 2003. Archived from the original on 2022-06-30. Retrieved 2023-03-12.
^ Cowdrey, Katherine (2018-05-11). "Applebaum wins Duff Cooper Prize for a second time". The Bookseller. Archived from the original on 2022-11-28. Retrieved 2023-03-12.
^ "British Philhellene Mark Mazower Granted Honorary Greek Citizenship". Greek City Times. 2021-09-23. Archived from the original on 2022-12-05. Retrieved 2023-03-12.
^ "Maya Jasanoff". Harvard University. Archived from the original on 2020-10-21. Retrieved 2023-03-12.
^ "William Dalrymple" (PDF). Council on Foreign Relations. Archived (PDF) from the original on 2022-03-08. Retrieved 2023-03-12.
^ "Kai Bird - Medill - Northwestern University". Medill-Northwestern University. Archived from the original on 2022-12-30. Retrieved 2023-03-12.
^ "Hoover Fellow Robert Service Awarded Duff Cooper Prize". Hoover Institution. 2010-03-16. Archived from the original on 2021-12-06. Retrieved 2023-03-12.
^ Spencer, Clare (2011-03-08). "Sarah Bakewell wins 2011 Duff Cooper prize | Creative Writing Tutors". Open University. Archived from the original on 2021-06-15. Retrieved 2023-03-12.
^ Blackburn, David (2012-03-01). "Dickens takes the Duff Cooper Prize". The Spectator. Archived from the original on 2023-03-12. Retrieved 2023-03-12.
^ "Awards: Duff Cooper Prize; Bodley Medal". Shelf Awareness. 2013-02-26. Archived from the original on 2022-01-23. Retrieved 2023-03-12.
^ "Champagne days for winners of the Duff Cooper Prize". Evening Standard. 2013-02-21. Archived from the original on 2020-05-26. Retrieved 2023-03-12.
^ "Awards: Duff Cooper Winner; Stella Longlist". Shelf Awareness. 2014-02-14. Archived from the original on 2023-03-12. Retrieved 2023-03-12.
^ "Awards: L.A. Times Book Finalists; Duff Cooper Winner". Shelf Awareness. 2016-02-24. Archived from the original on 2023-03-12. Retrieved 2023-03-12.
^ Wright, Katy (2016-02-23). "Bostridge wins the Pol Roger Duff Cooper Prize". Rhinegold. Archived from the original on 2023-03-12. Retrieved 2023-03-12.
^ "Awards: Rilke for Poetry; Lukas, Lynton; Pol Roger Duff Cooper". Shelf Awareness. 2017-02-22. Archived from the original on 2023-03-12. Retrieved 2023-03-12.
^ "The Duff Cooper Prize 2016". Corpus Christi College University of Cambridge. Archived from the original on 2023-03-12. Retrieved 2023-03-12.
^ "Awards: International Dylan Thomas; Pol Roger Duff Cooper". Shelf Awareness. 2018-05-14. Archived from the original on 2023-03-12. Retrieved 2023-03-12.
^ "New College awards Duff Cooper prize to Red Famine writer". Oxford Mail. 2018-05-11. Retrieved 2023-03-12.
^ "Queen Mary Professor awarded prestigious Duff Cooper Prize". Queen Mary University of London. 2019-02-21. Archived from the original on 2022-08-16. Retrieved 2023-03-12.
^ "Awards: Astrid Lindgren, Duff Cooper, Republic of Consciousness Winners; Christian Book Finalists". Shelf Awareness. 2020-04-02. Archived from the original on 2023-03-12. Retrieved 2023-03-12.
^ "John Barton wins Duff Cooper Prize 2019". The Times of India. 2020-04-01. ISSN 0971-8257. Archived from the original on 2020-05-20. Retrieved 2023-03-12.
^ "Awards: Andrew Carnegie Medal, Pol Roger Duff Cooper Winners". Shelf Awareness. 2021-02-05. Archived from the original on 2022-12-09. Retrieved 2023-03-12.
^ Comerford, Ruth (2021-02-01). "Herrin's Ravenna wins Pol Roger Duff Cooper Prize". The Bookseller. Archived from the original on 2021-05-14. Retrieved 2023-03-12.
^ "Mark Mazower Awarded 2021 Pol Roger Duff Cooper Prize". The Harriman Institute. 2022-04-21. Archived from the original on 2022-12-23. Retrieved 2023-03-12.
^ Brown, Lauren (2023-03-06). "Anna Keay wins £5,000 Pol Roger Duff Cooper Prize for The Restless Republic". The Bookseller. Archived from the original on 2023-03-11. Retrieved 2023-03-12.
^ Kan, Toni (2023-03-07). "Anna Keay's "The Restless Republic" wins £5,000 Pol Roger Duff Cooper Prize". The Lagos Review. Archived from the original on 2023-03-08. Retrieved 2023-03-12.
^ Bayley, Sian (2024-03-04). "Julian Jackson wins £5k Pol Roger Duff Cooper Prize". The Bookseller. Retrieved 2024-03-16.
^ Snow, Maia (2025-03-03). "Pol Roger Duff Cooper Prize awarded to Sue Prideaux for biography of artist Paul Gauguin". The Bookseller. Retrieved 2025-06-15.

External links

The Duff Cooper Prize

[1] "Champagne days for winners of the Duff Cooper Prize". London Evening Standard. February 21, 2013. Archived from the original on May 26, 2020. Retrieved August 26, 2013.

[2] "1956 - 2016". The Pol Roger Duff Cooper Prize. Archived from the original on 2023-03-12. Retrieved 2023-03-12.

[3] "Obituary Notes: Aileen Ward; Steve Wolfe". Shelf Awareness. 2016-06-14. Archived from the original on 2023-03-12. Retrieved 2023-03-12.

[4] "Woman Is First From U.S. To Win Duff Cooper Prize". The New York Times. 1963-12-12. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on 2023-03-12. Retrieved 2023-03-12.

[5] "Famous English author Nirad C Chaudhuri was the first Indian to receive this award". India Today. 2018-11-23. Archived from the original on 2022-05-16. Retrieved 2023-03-12.

[6] "J. A. Baker". Little Toller Books. Retrieved 2023-03-12.

[7] "Margaret Olwen MacMillan". Global Affairs Canada. 2019-04-25. Archived from the original on 2022-09-16. Retrieved 2023-03-12.

[8] "Lutyens Biography Wins The Duff Cooper Prize". The Lutyens Trust. Summer 2003. Archived from the original on 2022-06-30. Retrieved 2023-03-12.

[9] Cowdrey, Katherine (2018-05-11). "Applebaum wins Duff Cooper Prize for a second time". The Bookseller. Archived from the original on 2022-11-28. Retrieved 2023-03-12.

[10] "British Philhellene Mark Mazower Granted Honorary Greek Citizenship". Greek City Times. 2021-09-23. Archived from the original on 2022-12-05. Retrieved 2023-03-12.

[11] "Maya Jasanoff". Harvard University. Archived from the original on 2020-10-21. Retrieved 2023-03-12.

[12] "William Dalrymple" (PDF). Council on Foreign Relations. Archived (PDF) from the original on 2022-03-08. Retrieved 2023-03-12.

[13] "Kai Bird - Medill - Northwestern University". Medill-Northwestern University. Archived from the original on 2022-12-30. Retrieved 2023-03-12.

[14] "Hoover Fellow Robert Service Awarded Duff Cooper Prize". Hoover Institution. 2010-03-16. Archived from the original on 2021-12-06. Retrieved 2023-03-12.

[15] Spencer, Clare (2011-03-08). "Sarah Bakewell wins 2011 Duff Cooper prize | Creative Writing Tutors". Open University. Archived from the original on 2021-06-15. Retrieved 2023-03-12.

[16] Blackburn, David (2012-03-01). "Dickens takes the Duff Cooper Prize". The Spectator. Archived from the original on 2023-03-12. Retrieved 2023-03-12.

[17] "Awards: Duff Cooper Prize; Bodley Medal". Shelf Awareness. 2013-02-26. Archived from the original on 2022-01-23. Retrieved 2023-03-12.

[18] "Champagne days for winners of the Duff Cooper Prize". Evening Standard. 2013-02-21. Archived from the original on 2020-05-26. Retrieved 2023-03-12.

[19] "Awards: Duff Cooper Winner; Stella Longlist". Shelf Awareness. 2014-02-14. Archived from the original on 2023-03-12. Retrieved 2023-03-12.

[20] "Awards: L.A. Times Book Finalists; Duff Cooper Winner". Shelf Awareness. 2016-02-24. Archived from the original on 2023-03-12. Retrieved 2023-03-12.

[21] Wright, Katy (2016-02-23). "Bostridge wins the Pol Roger Duff Cooper Prize". Rhinegold. Archived from the original on 2023-03-12. Retrieved 2023-03-12.

[22] "Awards: Rilke for Poetry; Lukas, Lynton; Pol Roger Duff Cooper". Shelf Awareness. 2017-02-22. Archived from the original on 2023-03-12. Retrieved 2023-03-12.

[23] "The Duff Cooper Prize 2016". Corpus Christi College University of Cambridge. Archived from the original on 2023-03-12. Retrieved 2023-03-12.

[24] "Awards: International Dylan Thomas; Pol Roger Duff Cooper". Shelf Awareness. 2018-05-14. Archived from the original on 2023-03-12. Retrieved 2023-03-12.

[25] "New College awards Duff Cooper prize to Red Famine writer". Oxford Mail. 2018-05-11. Retrieved 2023-03-12.

[26] "Queen Mary Professor awarded prestigious Duff Cooper Prize". Queen Mary University of London. 2019-02-21. Archived from the original on 2022-08-16. Retrieved 2023-03-12.

[27] "Awards: Astrid Lindgren, Duff Cooper, Republic of Consciousness Winners; Christian Book Finalists". Shelf Awareness. 2020-04-02. Archived from the original on 2023-03-12. Retrieved 2023-03-12.

[28] "John Barton wins Duff Cooper Prize 2019". The Times of India. 2020-04-01. ISSN 0971-8257. Archived from the original on 2020-05-20. Retrieved 2023-03-12.

[29] "Awards: Andrew Carnegie Medal, Pol Roger Duff Cooper Winners". Shelf Awareness. 2021-02-05. Archived from the original on 2022-12-09. Retrieved 2023-03-12.

[30] Comerford, Ruth (2021-02-01). "Herrin's Ravenna wins Pol Roger Duff Cooper Prize". The Bookseller. Archived from the original on 2021-05-14. Retrieved 2023-03-12.

[31] "Mark Mazower Awarded 2021 Pol Roger Duff Cooper Prize". The Harriman Institute. 2022-04-21. Archived from the original on 2022-12-23. Retrieved 2023-03-12.

[32] Brown, Lauren (2023-03-06). "Anna Keay wins £5,000 Pol Roger Duff Cooper Prize for The Restless Republic". The Bookseller. Archived from the original on 2023-03-11. Retrieved 2023-03-12.

[33] Kan, Toni (2023-03-07). "Anna Keay's "The Restless Republic" wins £5,000 Pol Roger Duff Cooper Prize". The Lagos Review. Archived from the original on 2023-03-08. Retrieved 2023-03-12.

[34] Bayley, Sian (2024-03-04). "Julian Jackson wins £5k Pol Roger Duff Cooper Prize". The Bookseller. Retrieved 2024-03-16.

[35] Snow, Maia (2025-03-03). "Pol Roger Duff Cooper Prize awarded to Sue Prideaux for biography of artist Paul Gauguin". The Bookseller. Retrieved 2025-06-15.

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