The Colby Book Prize was endowed in 2006 in memory of Robert Colby by his wife, Vineta Colby, distinguished scholars and long-time members of RSVP. In 2011, following Vineta’s death, the Board of Directors of RSVP unanimously voted to re-name the prize to honor both Robert and Vineta Colby for their many fine contributions to the study of Victorian periodicals and their long commitment to RSVP.
The Colby Prize is intended to honor original book-length scholarship about Victorian periodicals and newspapers, of the kind that Robert and Vineta Colby themselves produced during their careers. The annual prize is awarded to a book published during the preceding year that most advances our understanding of the nineteenth-century British press. The winner receives a monetary award of $2,000 USD (shared in the case of co-winners). The winner is invited to speak at RSVP’s annual conference and up to $1,000 USD will be available to support related travel costs. See the list of previous winners here.
The Colby Book Prize winner is typically announced in April of the prize year. See our awards calendar for all relevant deadlines. Please note that deadlines are subject to change and if needed, will be announced via our social media channels promptly.
Prize Eligibility
Titles may be nominated by publishers or the reading public. Authors may self-nominate their own book. In addition to being published within the previous calendar year, the nominated book should have any aspect of the nineteenth-century periodical press as either its central focus or as a substantial element in its scholarly discussion. Monographs, edited volumes of essays, reference books, bibliographies, and scholarly editions are eligible for consideration, as well as biographies or critical studies of people who edited, financed, contributed to, or illustrated periodicals.
Books authored or co-authored by directors and officers of RSVP are eligible to be nominated for the Colby Prize, but such persons will not receive any part of the monetary award.
Nominating a Book
To nominate a book, complete the Colby Book Prize form between November 15 (of the book publication year) and January 31 (of the awarding year). The nominator will need to provide contact information for themselves and the author as well as information about the book itself.