Endowed by Library benefactor John W. Kluge, the Kluge Prize rewards lifetime achievement in the study of humanity with focus on disciplines not recognized by Nobel prizes. Such disciplines include history, philosophy, politics, anthropology, sociology, religion, criticism in the arts and humanities, and linguistics. The award is near the financial level of the Nobel awards.
The prize is international; the recipient may be of any nationality, writing in any language. The main criterion for a recipient of the Kluge Prize is deep intellectual accomplishment in the study of humanity. The recipient’s body of work should evidence growth in maturity and range over the years. The recipient will have demonstrated unusual distinction within a given area of inquiry and across disciplines in the human sciences. Significantly, the recipient’s writings should be, in large part, understandable and important for those involved in public affairs.
In order to ensure consideration of as wide a pool of candidates as possible, the Librarian of Congress solicits nominations for the Kluge Prize from a broad range of individuals knowledgeable about the humanities and social sciences in colleges, universities, embassies, and research institutions across the globe, as well as from independent scholars and writers. Nominations are also solicited internally from an expert staff of Library curators and area studies specialists.
To facilitate the evaluation process, peer reviews and informal assessments of promising candidates are solicited from leading scholars around the country and the world. Library curators and others also review books published by a number of candidates. On the basis of all available evidence, the Librarian selects a limited number of finalists for the Prize.
Finally, detailed dossiers on each finalist are sent to the members of the Kluge Prize Final Review Panel. Deliberating at the Library, this panel submits its recommendations to the Librarian, who makes the final decision.
Select this link for more information on the Kluge Prize process, including how to nominate candidates for the next award.
