Guidelines for the ASRF Book Award

Award Criteria

Eligibility for consideration is not limited to authors who are members of ASRF; thus, the award is open to non-Africans who publish on Africa

Edited books are not eligible for consideration

Sources for Eligible Books

We expect most of the books to come from major publishers of books on Africa. The ASRF Executive Committee may formally write these publishers and inform them about the award, or contact them through the Book Award Committee.

However, the committee can receive for consideration books published by ASRF members who wish to have such books considered for the award.

The Book Award Committee also welcomes nominations for books made by members of the ASRF. The person or persons nominating any given books will supply review copies to the Award Committee members

The Review Process

The committee reads the books and ranks each author, based on a rubric created by the committee.

If a member(s) of the awards committee has a book that is in contention for the award, the member(s) in question would have to recuse themselves from the review process.

Deadline

Award reviewers must receive the books at least 3 months to award date; thus, publishers have to send books they want to have considered for the award to the reviewers by November 1 of any given year. Books that arrive after that date will be considered in the next award cycle.

The initial announcement is slated to be made during the ASRF conference in March 2019

Consequently, November 1, 2019 is the deadline for the inaugural award. We hope to begin receiving books from March to November 1, 2019.

Prizes

There will be three prizes for the book award

The award will recognize the first and second runners-up with a certificate

The first place winner will receive a plaque and a $250.00 cash prize.

The preference is for the award winners, especially the first place winner, to receive the award in person at the convention. However, the ASRF President shall mail the award to the winners or give them to designated third parties, subject to the winners providing acceptable extenuating circumstances preventing them from personally receiving the award.

In addition, the first place winner will be invited to make a presentation about the book at the subsequent annual conference of the African Studies and Research Forum.

Members of the ASRF Book Award Committee: James T. Gire (Chair), Sabella Abidde, John A. Conteh