The Nanovic Institute for European Studies, part of the Keough School of Global Affairs at the University of Notre Dame, has awarded the 2026 Laura Shannon Prize in Contemporary European Studies to Eric Calderwood, professor of comparative and world literature at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, for his book “On Earth or in Poems: The Many Lives of al-Andalus,” published by Harvard University Press.
The Laura Shannon Prize is a preeminent prize within the field of European studies. It is awarded each year to the book that best transcends a focus on any one country, state or people, stimulating new ways of thinking about contemporary Europe as a whole. This year’s award cycle considered books in the humanities published in 2023 and 2024. A shortlist of finalists was previously announced in November 2025.
2026 Laura Shannon Prize final jury statement
Each year, the prize recipient is selected by a jury of accomplished scholars. The 2026 jury included:
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Magdalena Charzyńska-Wójcik, professor and chair, Department of the History of English and Translation Studies, John Paul II Catholic University of Lublin;
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Rita Felski, John Stewart Bryan Professor, University of Virginia;
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Joshua Lund, professor of Spanish, University of Notre Dame;
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Robert Norton, professor of German studies, University of Notre Dame; and
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Galin Tihanov, George Steiner Professor of Comparative Literature, Queen Mary University of London.
In its statement, the final jury commended Calderwood for setting a “new standard for interpreting the ongoing relevance of our foundational political and cultural histories.” They wrote:
Alongside its eloquent historiographical achievement for a range of fields, “On Earth or in Poems” is strikingly relevant to our current historical crossroads. It represents the very best of the critical perspectives from the peripheries of Europe: a story emerging from the Western edge of Europe, traveling around the Mediterranean, only to rearticulate its cultural and political challenges in the space-in-between Europe and its essentially migrant history. In this, it amply offers, in the words of the Shannon Prize, “new ways of thinking about contemporary Europe as a whole,” decentering the continent as the provenance of any single cultural, aesthetic or religious tradition…. At a moment when powerful voices are agitating in favor of univocal, hierarchical and ultimately fictional “shared traditions” of Europe, Calderwood provides a response of literal and material shared histories whose contemporary expressions demonstrate multiplicity and defy any neat historical or geographical unities.
They concluded, “In short, it is European Studies at its best in that it aligns effortlessly and traces in admirable depth cultural, political and religious histories, while at the same time examining their relevance for a wider Europe.”
Prize lecture to be held next academic year
The prize will be officially conferred during a public lecture and award ceremony, which will be scheduled during the 2026-27 academic year. The Nanovic Institute will share this date when it has been finalized.
The Laura Shannon Prize has a 17-year history of recognizing high-quality scholarship in European studies. It was made possible by a generous endowment from Laura Shannon (1939-2021) and her husband, Michael, a member of the Notre Dame class of ‘58. Laura Shannon joined the Nanovic Institute’s advisory board in 2003 and faithfully served for many years. Her professional career involved work in social services and family court mediation, and she was a frequent visitor to Europe, where she developed her French language skills. Her daughters, Claire Shannon Kelly and Katie Shannon, continue their parents’ legacy as current members of the institute’s advisory board.
In recent years, the prize has become a critical way to promote ongoing academic partnerships between the institute and leading scholars in European studies. A few key examples include:
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2019 and 2020 recipients Max Bergholz and Eleonory Gilburd joining the institute’s graduate workshop in Ireland on academic storytelling in August 2022;
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2021 recipient Peter Gatrell keynoting the institute’s Reimagining Europe from Its Peripheries conference in March 2023 and returning to a seminar on storytelling from the margins in August 2025;
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2022 recipient Pamela Cheek co-leading a working group with the Nanovic Institute beginning in 2025;
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2023 recipient Stella Ghervas serving as a Nanovic Institute research affiliate and external reviewer; and
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2024 recipient Rory Finnin returning to Notre Dame for its Ukrainian Studies Hub conference in March 2025 and as a visiting professor in the 2025-26 academic year.
Nominations are currently open through March 31, 2026, for the 2027 Laura Shannon Prize, focused on books within history and the social sciences published in 2024 or 2025. Authors and publishers may submit nominations.
The Nanovic Institute for European Studies is part of the University of Notre Dame’s Keough School of Global Affairs. The Laura Shannon Prize is one way it contributes to the intellectual, cultural and research aims of the school, bringing renowned scholars from around the globe to campus and integrating them into coursework, public events and research projects. It forms a critical bridge between Notre Dame and Europe, enriching the reach of this global University.
For more information about the Nanovic Institute and the Laura Shannon Prize (including past recipients), visit nanovic.nd.edu/prize.