International Jury of Experts to Decide the 2025 Lionel Gelber Prize Winner
The esteemed Lionel Gelber Prize Board has unveiled the jury members for the 36th annual Lionel Gelber Prize, an award celebrating outstanding English-language literature in the field of international affairs. This year’s jury is led by Jury Chair Janice Gross Stein, a highly regarded academic in the realm of Conflict Management and founding director of the Munk School of Global Affairs at the University of Toronto.
Joining Stein are returning jurors Francis J. Gavin and Iain Martin. Gavin, based in Washington, serves as the Giovanni Agnelli Distinguished Professor at the esteemed Johns Hopkins University. His extensive career includes key roles focusing on global security and international relations. Meanwhile, Iain Martin, a London-based journalist and director of the London Defence Conference, will bring valuable media insights and a global perspective to the jury.
The board also welcomes two new members: John Bew, former Chief Foreign Policy Advisor at Downing Street, and Nina Srinivasan Rathbun, a professor at the University of Toronto. Bew offers a wealth of experience from his time advising prime ministers on crucial foreign policy matters, while Rathbun specializes in international security, particularly focusing on nuclear non-proliferation and multilateral efforts.
Judith Gelber, the chair of the Lionel Gelber Prize Board, expressed pride in assembling a jury that reflects a diverse range of expertise. The prize, founded in 1989 in honor of Canadian diplomat Lionel Gelber, recognizes the best non-fiction work on international affairs published in English. The cash prize for the winning author is CAD 50,000.
The jury will review submissions and announce a shortlist of five books on February 11, 2025. The winner will then be celebrated at the prestigious Lionel Gelber Prize Ceremony and Lecture scheduled for April 24, 2025. This event not only highlights significant literary achievements but also deepens discussions surrounding pressing international issues as the world navigates complex global challenges.
The prize continues to uphold its mission of elevating voices and narratives that contribute meaningfully to the discourse on international affairs. Each year, the Lionel Gelber Prize seeks to engage both scholars and general readers alike, fostering a greater understanding of geopolitical dynamics.
Through this initiative, the prize honors exemplary writing that inspires thought and discussion about our global future. As such, the 2025 iteration promises to deliver a collection of compelling narratives that critically analyze our world today.
This jury's announcement marks another chapter in the ongoing legacy of the Lionel Gelber Prize, reflecting a commitment to celebrating diverse perspectives in literature while addressing international challenges that affect all corners of the globe. The anticipation now builds as the jury begins their selections, paving the way for innovative works to receive commendation on one of the most prestigious platforms for authors in the field of international affairs.