Wolfson History Prize

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BSU lecturer shortlisted for prestigious Wolfson History Prize

Thursday, 16 October, 2025

Author and Reader in Public History at BSU, Dr Eleanor Barraclough, has been shortlisted for the Wolfson History Prize for her book, Embers of the Hands: Hidden Histories of the Viking Age.  

Embers of the Hands is a fresh and modern history that tells the untold stories of everyday Vikings from small, seemingly ordinary objects like combs, doodles on birch bark, runes, and even angry notes from a wife to her husband who’s spent too long at the tavern. 

The book has garnered plenty of praise, making the longlist for the Women’s Prize for Non-Fiction earlier this year and was a Times History Book of the Year in 2024. 

Explaining what they admired about the book, the Wolfson History Prize judges said:  

“Beautifully and dynamically written, this book fuses history and archaeology to offer intimate and compelling insights into the everyday lives and beliefs of ordinary people in the Viking period.” 

Expressing her delight at being shortlisted, Eleanor said: 

“I'm so happy to be shortlisted for the Wolfson History Prize. What I admire so much about the prize is that it celebrates research excellence and readability in historical writing. That's exactly what I aim for in my work, but it's never easy to achieve, and it certainly wasn't with Embers of the Hands. There were plenty of times that I thought it would never be finished (and I'm sure my agent/editor felt the same), so this is a good reminder to just keep plugging away at it.”  

In addition to her published works, Eleanor has written for publications including The Guardian, The Telegraph, BBC History Magazine, and BBC Countryfile Magazine. She is a Fellow of the Royal Historical Society, the Society of Antiquaries and the Royal Society of Arts. 

Now in its 53rd year, the Wolfson History Prize celebrates the best historical writing being produced in the UK, reflecting both readability for a general audience and the highest quality writing and research. It is also the most valuable history prize in the UK, with the winner receiving £50,000 and each of the five shortlisted authors £5,000, giving a combined total of £75,000. 

Previous winners of the Wolfson History Prize include the eminent historians William Dalrymple, Mary Beard, Antonia Fraser, Eric Hobsbawm, Halik Kochanski, Simon Schama, Amanda Vickery, Antony Beevor, Joanna Bourke, Christopher Bayly and Clare Jackson.  

The winner of the Wolfson History Prize 2025 will be revealed on Tuesday 2 December.