Wayne S. Vucinich Book Prize

Established in 1983, the Wayne S. Vucinich Book Prize, sponsored by the Association for Slavic Studies, East European, and Eurasian Studies (ASEEES) and the Stanford University Center for Russian, East European and Eurasian Studies, is awarded annually for the most important contribution to Russian, Eurasian, and East European studies in any discipline of the humanities or social sciences published in English in the United States in the previous calendar year. The Vucinich Book Prize carries a cash award and is presented at the ASEEES Annual Convention.


Rules of Eligibility

Rules of eligibility for the Vucinich book prize competition are as follows:

  • The publication date inside the book must list the previous calendar year as the date of publication. For example, the book must have been a publication date of 2023 to be eligible for the 2024 competition. If no publication date is listed, the copyright date will be taken as the publication date.
  • The book must be a monograph, preferably by a single author, or by no more than two authors.
  • The book must be published in the United States and originally published in English.
  • Authors may be of any nationality.
  • Works may deal with any area of Eastern Europe, Russia, or Eurasia.
  • The competition is open to works of scholarship in any discipline of the social sciences or humanities (including literature, the arts, film, etc.).
  • Policy analyses, however scholarly, cannot be considered.
  • Textbooks, collections, translations (including self-translations), bibliographies, and reference works are ineligible.
  • Self-published works are also ineligible.

Nominating Instructions

A book can be nominated by the publisher or the author only. The nominator (publisher or author) is responsible for sending copies of the book to the prize committee members.

Fill out and submit this form to notify the Association of your intent to nominate a publication for Vucinich prize. As of 2020, books may only be nominated for two prizes (e.g.,this prize and one other).

Send one copy of eligible monograph to each Committee member (see addresses below). The nomination form must be submitted by no later than April 15. And books must be received by the prize committee members by May 15 (books received after the deadline may not be considered).

 Submissions should be clearly marked “Wayne S. Vucinich Book Prize Nomination.”

Questions should be directed to [email protected].

2026 Wayne S. Vucinich Book Prize Committee

The winner of the 2026 Wayne S. Vucinich Book Prize will be chosen by the following scholars. For all committee members, print books are preferred, but where needed ebooks can be accepted at the addresses below. For questions, please contact ASEEES at [email protected] or 412-648-9911.

Willard Sunderland
U of Cincinnati, 2025-2026

Print books are preferred. Please mail them to:
Willard Sunderland
Department of History,
University of Cincinnati
P.O. Box 210373
2700 Campus Way
Cincinnati, OH 45219-0373

Where needed, ebooks will be accepted. Please send them to: 
[email protected]

Sibelan Forrester Swarthmore College, 2025-2026

Print books are preferred. Please email [email protected] for the mailing address.

Where needed, ebooks will be accepted. They can be sent to:
[email protected]


Scott Radnitz
U of Washington, 2026-2027 

Print books are preferred. They can be sent to:
Scott Radnitz
Jackson School of International Studies
Thomson Hall, Box 353650
University of Washington
Seattle, WA 98195 

Where needed, ebooks will be accepted. They can be sent to: [email protected]

Grant Harward
U.S. Army Center for Military History, 2026-2027

Print books are preferred. Please email [email protected] for the mailing address.

Where needed, ebooks will be accepted. They can be sent to: [email protected]

(For customs use): Please mark the nominated books as “gift” to alert Customs that this is not a commercial shipment/to insure the recipient does not have to pay for the items.

1983–2005 Archive

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