History prize for College Fellow

Congratulations to College Fellow, Dr Renaud Morieux, who has been announced as the winner of the American Historical Association’s Leo Gershoy Award, presented to the author of the most outstanding work published in English on any aspect of 17th- and 18th-century European history. 

Dr Morieux has won the prize for his book, The Channel: England, France, and the Construction of a Maritime Border in the Eighteenth Century (Cambridge Univ. Press, 2016), which offers a fascinating insight into the history of the ‘English’ Channel during the 18th century and tackles some of the big questions about identity and sovereignty that continue to be pertinent today.

The first book to look at the history of the narrow seas which connect Britain and the Continent, The Channel examines the enduring symbolism, and permeability, of one of the world’s most iconic borders. Morieux was born and raised in France and now teaches British history at Cambridge. He is ideally qualified to explore the narratives of the stretch of water that separates and joins Britain and France. 

Announcing the prize, one of the Association’s annual roster of awards, the Association stated: “This year’s finalists were selected from a field of over 1,300 entries by nearly 100 dedicated prize committee members. The names, publications, and projects of those who received these awards are a catalog of the best work produced in the historical discipline.”