Celebrating the Winners of the 2026 ACLS Open Access Book Prizes and Arcadia Awards
Celebrating the Winners of the 2026 ACLS Open Access Book Prizes and Arcadia Awards
The American Council of Learned Societies (ACLS) is thrilled to unveil the distinguished winners of the 2026 ACLS Open Access Book Prizes and the Arcadia Open Access Publishing Awards. These esteemed awards, supported by the Arcadia Foundation, highlight the most outstanding, innovative, and open access contributions to humanities literature published from 2019 to 2024.
The winners represent diverse subjects in the humanities, showcasing original research that challenges traditional thoughts and expands readers' understanding of various cultural and academic issues.
The Award-Winning Titles
Anthropology
"Mal-Nutrition Maternal Health Science and the Reproduction of Harm" by Emily Yates-Doerr (University of California Press, 2024) - This work dives deep into maternal health issues, providing an insightful analysis of nutrition's role in societal harm, emphasizing the intersections of diet, health policy, and human impact.
Environmental Humanities
"Ecological States: Politics of Science and Nature in Urbanizing China" by Jesse Rodenbiker (Cornell University Press, 2023) - This title adopts a critical approach to examining the rapidly changing societal landscapes within China's urban environments and what that means for ecological politics and consciousness.
History
"Abortion Pills: US History and Politics" by Carrie Baker (Amherst College Press, 2024) - This book offers an in-depth historical context of abortion pills within the U.S., situating current political discourse against a backdrop of past struggles and triumphs in reproductive rights.
Literary and Media Studies
"Twining: Critical and Creative Approaches to Hypertext Narratives" by Anastasia Salter and Stuart Moulthrop (Amherst College Press, 2021) - Blending critical analysis with creative exploration, this work examines hypertext narratives and how they reshape our understanding of storytelling.
Multimodal Studies
"Deaf Mobility Studies: Exploring International Networks, Tourism, and Migration" by Annelies Kusters et al. (Gallaudet University Press, 2024) - This collaborative effort focuses on the experiences of Deaf individuals in relation to mobility, tourism, and global networks, offering a fresh perspective on migration studies.
Political Science
"Renegotiating Patriarchy: Gender, Agency, and the Bangladesh Paradox" by Naila Kabeer (LSE Press, 2024) - This title critically analyzes the gender dynamics within Bangladesh, uncovering the paradoxes surrounding agency, empowerment, and patriarchal structures.
The Significance of the Awards
Winners of the ACLS Open Access Book Prizes receive a cash prize of $20,000, while their respective publishers are granted $30,000 to facilitate the immediate open access publication of at least two additional new titles. These awards are among the largest presented for scholarly books, emphasizing both the importance of accessibility in academia and the value of open research.
The celebration of these works will take place on November 4, 2026, at The New York Public Library, featuring a public panel discussion encompassing aspects of the honorees' contributions to the field.
Sarah McKee, ACLS Program Officer for Amplifying Humanistic Scholarship, remarked, "The 2026 ACLS Open Access Book Prize awardees exemplify innovative, impactful, and open humanistic scholarship that is accessible to a diverse audience. By overcoming barriers of access, the authors ensure that their scholarship reaches students, policymakers, and engaged communities globally."
In celebrating these remarkable works, the ACLS also commemorates a century of grantmaking for individual scholars, reflecting its ongoing commitment to fostering an environment where knowledge is a public good. Through initiatives like these awards and collaborations with various institutions, the ACLS continues to push the boundaries of what is possible in the humanities.
Arcadia, the charitable foundation supporting these awards, has been instrumental in promoting open access to knowledge since 2002. With over $1.2 billion awarded globally, its efforts enhance the reach and impact of scholarly communications and cultural preservation.
By spotlighting these award-winning texts, the ACLS demonstrates the significant contributions of humanities scholarship to the understanding of our world, ensuring that the work of these authors will inspire future generations.
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