Juried literary
Bancroft Prize
Columbia University in the City of New York (Columbia University Libraries)
In short
The Bancroft Prize is given by Columbia University for books on American history, including biography and diplomacy, with the Americas read broadly. History departments, university presses, libraries, and trade reviewers pay attention to it. Publishers or their representatives submit and authors cannot, so ask your editor in the fall whether the book is going in before the November 1 deadline; there is no entry fee, but four physical copies must reach Columbia. Self-published and digital-only books are not eligible.
Deadline November 1, 2026Checked September 13, 2026 (opens in a new tab)
Every label is a fact from the official rules, never a judgment about whether the award is worth entering. How we describe awards.
The Bancroft Prize, awarded by Columbia University, recognizes books in American history (including biography) and diplomacy. "American" is read broadly to cover North, Central, and South America. Books must be originally written in English or published in English translation, and the prize in a given year goes to books with a copyright date in the previous year.
Publishers or their representatives submit. Four physical copies go to Columbia University Libraries in New York, plus one PDF by email to the prize address. There is no entry fee. The book must exist in physical form; exclusively digital titles are not eligible. Volumes of papers or letters (unless author-edited), paperback reprints of older works, previously submitted books, and books about recent personal experiences within limited timeframes are excluded.
For books with a 2026 copyright date, the submission deadline is November 1, 2026. Winners are announced in March; the 2026 winners were announced March 12, 2026.
Why it may matter
The Bancroft Prize is closely followed in American history publishing, libraries, and universities. The publisher submits and must send four physical copies, so ask early in the fall whether your book is being entered.
2027 cycle: 2027 Bancroft Prize (books with a 2026 copyright date)
- Eligible publication dates
- January 1, 2026 to December 31, 2026
- Final deadline
- November 1, 2026Checked September 13, 2026 (opens in a new tab)
- Deadline note
- Four physical copies and the PDF due by November 1, 2026
- Entry fee
- No entry feeChecked September 13, 2026 (opens in a new tab)
- Results
- Winners announced in March 2027
| Tier | Deadline | Fee |
|---|---|---|
| Per title | See rules | No fee |
Worth knowing
Our reading, not a rule the organization published. We judge an award on the rubric in how we describe awards.
Previous winners may compete again, but a book can only be submitted once. Copyright date, not release date, governs the cycle, so a book with a 2026 copyright page released in early 2027 still belongs to the November 1, 2026 deadline; ask the publisher to check the copyright page before deciding.
Rules and deadlines change. We last checked this information on September 13, 2026. If you see something that needs updating, please tell us.
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