Survivors, by Hannah Durkin; Embers of the Hands by Eleanor Barraclough; The Eagle and the Heart by Helen Castor; Multicultural Britain by Kieran Connell; The Gravity of Feathers, by Andrew Fleming; The Mysterious Case of the Victorian Female Detective, by Sara Lodge.

Cannot believe I've won the entire Wolfson History Prize shortlist in their competition here on Bluesky. Thank you soooo much! I@wolfsonhistory.bsky.social (The only one I already had was the brilliant Embers of theHands by Eleanor Barraclough).

Read the 2023 Wolfson History Prize shortlist: An extract from The World the Plague Made by James Belich The Wolfson History Prize In The World the Plague Made, James Belich presents a panoramic history of how the Black Death revolutionised labour, trade, and technology and set the stage for Europe’s global expansion. The followi...

#DidYouKnow the spring season in medieval and early modern Europe was often associated with outbreaks of plague?

In the 2023 shortlisted book 'The World the Plague Made', James Belich explores how the Black Death reshaped European society. ⬇️

bit.ly/4bj163v

We are greatly saddened by the death of Robert Skidelsky, winner of the 1993 Wolfson History Prize for ‘John Maynard Keynes, Vol. 2: The Economist as Saviour, 1920–1937’. Lord Skidelsky also served as a judge for the prize from 1997 to 2001. Our thoughts are with his family, friends and readers.

Leading up to the #WolfsonHistoryPrize awards season, we’ll be giving away a book each month from the 2025 shortlist. Follow @wolfsonhistory.bsky.social to be the first to know about upcoming giveaways.

Thank you to everyone who entered our April giveaway!

Congratulations to the winner, we hope you enjoy reading ‘Embers of the Hands: Hidden Histories of the Viking Age' by Eleanor Barraclough. 📚

Survivors: The Lost Stories of the Last Captives of the Atlantic Slave Trade - The Wolfson History Prize Shortlisted for the 2025 Wolfson History Prize, Survivors is an immersive and revelatory history of the survivors of the Clotilda, the last slave ship to land on American soil, whose lives diverged an...

#DidYouKnow that some of the last survivors of the Atlantic slave trade built a community known as Africatown in Alabama?

Discover their compelling history in 2025 #WolfsonHistoryPrize winning book 'Survivors: The Lost Stories of the Last Captives of the Atlantic Slave Trade'. ⬇️

bit.ly/46Yml9C

WIN! This month we're giving you the chance to win a copy of 'Embers of the Hands: Hidden Histories of the Viking Age' by Eleanor Barraclough! 📚

To enter:
Follow us
Like and reshare this post

Entries close 17/04/2026 10AM GMT. UK only.

Heretics and Believers - The 2018 Wolfson History Prize Winner Peter Marshall’s sweeping new history—the first major overview for general readers in a generation—argues that sixteenth-century England was a society neither desperate for nor allergic to change, but...

#DidYouKnow Easter celebrations in England were transformed by the Reformation?

#WolfsonHistoryPrize winner Peter Marshall’s 'Heretics and Believers: A History of the English Reformation' explores how these religious upheavals reshaped English faith and society. ⬇️

bit.ly/4djZER4

Step back into Tudor England this Easter weekend.

@chilternoam.bsky.social is hosting Tudors: Life, Falconry and Folk from 3 - 6 April. See Tudor re-enactors replicating everyday life in the period, including the ancient noble sport of falconry.

Find out more at the link below.⬇️
bit.ly/4uszKki

Our NHS: A History of Britain's Best-Loved Institution- The Wolfson History Prize Shortlisted for the 2024 Wolfson History Prize, Our NHS is an engaging, inclusive history of the NHS, exploring its surprising survival – and the people who have kept it running.

#DidYouKnow Britain recruited thousands of nurses from the Commonwealth after WWII?

In the 2024 #WolfsonHistoryPrize shortlisted book 'Our NHS: A History of Britain’s Best-Loved Institution’, Andrew Seaton brings together an engaging account of the institution. ⬇️

bit.ly/4kU2gXz

Authors of History Podcast A podcast for history book lovers everywhere

Looking for something to listen to on your commute?

The Authors of History Podcast interviewed 2025 #WolfsonHistoryPrize winner Hannah Durkin, and shortlisted authors @victoriandetective.bsky.social and Helen Castor. Listen at the link below. ⬇️

shows.acast.com/authors-of-h...

The Eagle and the Hart: The Tragedy of Richard II and Henry IV Shortlisted for the 2025 Wolfson History Prize, The Eagle and the Hart chronicles the lives and reigns of Richard II and Henry IV, two cousins whose rivalry brought their nation to the brink of disint...

#DidYouKnow that King Richard II was only 10 years old when he inherited the throne?

In the 2025 #WolfsonHistoryPrize shortlisted book 'The Eagle and the Hart: The Tragedy of Richard II and Henry IV', Helen Castor explores how Richard’s youth shaped events that followed.⬇️

bit.ly/4qQLyul

#DidYouKnow that the last time England was successfully invaded was 1066?

For the first time since it was made, the Bayeux Tapestry is returning to England. This 70-metre tapestry provides a profound insight into 11th century life. To learn more, visit the link below. ⬇️

bit.ly/40AWzo0

Sex and the Church and the Scandal in Königsberg | Oxford Literary Festival Diarmaid MacCulloch and Christopher Clark Chaired by Jane Shaw - Sex and the Church and the Scandal in Königsberg

#WolfsonHistoryPrize winner and judge Diarmaid MacCulloch is taking part in the discussion 'Sex and the Church and the Scandal in Königsberg' at @oxfordlitfest on 23 March. Learn more below. ⬇️

bit.ly/4acNMx4

We’re excited to announce that, leading up to the 2026 Wolfson History Prize shortlist announcement, we’ll be giving away a book each month from the 2025 shortlist. Follow us at @wolfsonhistory.bsky.social for more.

Thank you to everyone who entered our giveaway!

Congratulations to the winner, we hope you enjoy reading the 2025 #WolfsonHistoryPrize shortlist.

Wolfson History Prize Bookshop UK The Wolfson History Prize is the UK’s most prestigious history writing prize. A key date in the literary calendar, it celebrates the best historical writing being produced in the UK, reflecting both r...

On #WorldBookDay, we’re celebrating the power of history to deepen our understanding of yesterday and respond to the present.

Dive into the stories that have shaped our world and explore our curated collection of winning and shortlisted titles on our @bookshop_org_UK page. 📚

bit.ly/4aMgUwP

It's competition time! 📚

We're giving away an entire set of the 2025 #WolfsonHistoryPrize shortlist.

For a chance to win, you must:
1) Follow us on Bluesky
2) Like and reshare this post on Bluesky

Entries close 13/03/2026 10AM GMT. UK only.

The Mysterious Case of the Victorian Female Detective - The Wolfson History Prize Shortlisted for the 2025 Wolfson History Prize, The Mysterious Case of the Victorian Female Detective explores the lives and work of Victorian women detectives.

#DidYouKnow that women have been doing detective work for centuries?

In the 2025 #WolfsonHistoryPrize shortlisted book 'The Mysterious Case of the Victorian Female Detective', alumna @victoriandetective.bsky.social explores the morally ambiguous work of real women detectives.⬇️

bit.ly/49PezAu

Portable Magic: A History of Books and their Readers - The Wolfson History Prize shortlist 2023 Shortlisted for the 2023 Wolfson History Prize, Portable Magic is an excitingly revisionist history of bibliophilia from the author Emma Smith.

#OTD in 1455 many believe that the first European book was printed using moveable metal type.

Learn more about the human relationship to books in 2023 #WolfsonHistoryPrize alumna Emma Smith's ‘Portable Magic: A History of Books and Their Readers’.⬇️

bit.ly/49orqZ1

The Gravity of Feathers: Fame, Fortune and the Story of St Kilda - The Wolfson History Prize Shortlisted for the 2025 Wolfson History Prize, The Gravity of Feathers tells the absorbing and eventful story of St Kilda from earliest times, up to the evacuation and its aftermath.

#DidYouKnow that seabirds formed a significant part of the St Kildan diet?

Discover more about the island and its inhabitants in 2025 #WolfsonHistoryPrize shortlisted author Andrew Fleming's book 'The Gravity of Feathers: Fame, Fortune and the Story of St Kilda'.⬇️

bit.ly/4aRJlKd

Wolfson History Prize Bookshop UK The Wolfson History Prize is the UK’s most prestigious history writing prize. A key date in the literary calendar, it celebrates the best historical writing being produced in the UK, reflecting both r...

Looking for history book recommendations from your favourite historians? Our @bookshop-org-uk.bsky.social page has over 30 lists curated by some of the UK's best authors of history.

Happy reading.⬇️

uk.bookshop.org/shop/wolfson...

Resistance: The Underground War in Europe 1939-45 - The Wolfson History Prize shortlist 2023 Shortlisted for the 2023 Wolfson History Prize, Resistance is a sweeping, original history of occupation and resistance in war-torn Europe.

#OTD in 1945 the bombing of Dresden began.

2023 #WolfsonHistoryPrize winning book ‘Resistance: The Underground War in Europe, 1939-1945′ by Halik Kochanski is a haunting account of this period in history. Read more below.⬇️

www.wolfsonhistoryprize.org.uk/past-winners...

Winter Warmer Digital Festival 26 - Gloucester History Festival

Want to engage in panel discussions with some of the world's best historians, but not ready to brave the cold? The Gloucester History Festival Winter Warmer digital festival is on until 11 February.

Learn more.⬇️

www.gloucesterhistoryfestival.co.uk/winter-warme...

London in the Twentieth Century - The 2002 Wolfson History Prize Winner In 1901 no other city matched London in size, wealth and grandeur. Yet it was also a city where poverty and disease were rife.

#OTD in 1952, Queen Elizabeth Ⅱ acceded to the throne, marking the beginning of a transformational reign for the UK.

Curious to learn more? 2002 #WolfsonHistoryPrize winner Jerry White explores this period in 'London in the Twentieth Century: A City and Its People'.⬇️

bit.ly/4qY1s6f

Lahore Literary Festival Official website of South Asia's premier literary festival

English classicist, ancient historian and #WolfsonHistoryPrize winner, Robin Lane Fox will be speaking at this year's Lahore Literary Festival running from 6 - 8 February.

You can find more information on their website below. ⬇️

lahorelitfest.org

'Devil-Land' - The Wolfson History Prize shortlist 2022 'Devil-Land: England Under Siege, 1588-1688' by Clare Jackson tells the story of a nation in a state of near continual crisis.

#OTD in 1649 Charles I was executed during the crisis-ridden 17th century.

Curious to learn more?

#WolfsonHistoryPrize 2022 winning book 'Devil Land: England Under Siege, 1588–1688' by Clare Jackson details this era. Read about the book at the link below. ⬇️

bit.ly/3MqW6kB

Embers of the Hands: Hidden Histories of the Viking Age - The Wolfson History Prize Shortlisted for the 2025 Wolfson History Prize, 'Embers of the Hands' is a history of the Viking Age told through the everyday objects of ordinary people.

Held every year on the last Tuesday in January, The Fire Festival in Shetland burns a replica Viking longship.

Learn more about Viking history in #WolfsonHistoryPrize shortlisted book 'Embers of the Hands: Hidden Histories of the Viking Age' by Eleanor Barraclough.

Read more here ⬇️
bit.ly/4pqCFXI

We are deeply saddened by the death of David Abulafia, winner of the 2020 Wolfson History Prize for ‘The Boundless Sea: A Human History of the Oceans’. Our thoughts are with his family, friends and readers.

Empress - The 2019 Wolfson History Prize Shortlist In this engaging and controversial book, Miles Taylor shows how both Victoria and Albert were spellbound by India, and argues that the Queen was humanely, intelligently, and passionately involved with...

#OTD in 1901 Queen Victoria died after a reign of almost 64 years.

#WolfsonHistoryPrize 2019 shortlisted author Miles Taylor explores her complex involvement with India and her impact on the country in his book ‘Empress: Queen Victoria and India’. Learn more below. ⬇️

bit.ly/44tvlT1