Political Book Prize

Entries now being accepted

You are invited to participate in the 21th edition of the Political Book Prize to be awarded next spring!

Prizes totalling $20,000 will be awarded to winners and runners-up of the Prix de la présidence de l’Assemblée nationale and the Prix de la Fondation Jean-Charles-Bonenfant. For rules and details, see below.
If you are an author or student who has written on the subject of Québec politics, submit your entry by completing one of these forms:

• Formulaire Prix de la présidence (PDF, 3 Mo)
• Formulaire Prix de la Fondation Jean-Charles-Bonenfant (PDF, 3 Mo)

See our press release (in French only)

See promotionals videos (in French only) :

• Prix de la présidence
• Prix de la Fondation Jean-Charles-Bonenfant - Mémoire de maîtrise
• Prix de la Fondation Jean-Charles-Bonenfant - Thèse de doctorat

You have until January 27, 2023, to submit your entry.

Each year since 2003, the National Assembly of Québec has highlighted the richness of political writing in Québec and the talent of authors who excel in the genre.

The Prize was created:

• to encourage authors who write on subjects related to Québec politics;
• to spark the interest of parliamentarians and the general public in political works;
• to foster closer ties between the public, authors and the National Assembly;
• to increase the public's knowledge of Québec's parliamentary institutions.

Purpose

These prizes recognize the quality and originality of books on Québec politics and, more specifically, on its political life, political institutions and political figures.

The National Assembly of Québec awards three prizes in this category : $6,500 awarded to the winner and $2,000 awarded to each of the two finalists.

Eligibility

To be eligible, works must

• Be written in French or English;
• Have been published in book form (i.e., on paper) between January 1 and December 31, 2022, by a publisher whose head office is in Québec;
• Be monographs dealing, in whole or in part, with Québec politics
  • They can be essays, historical or analytical works, narratives orbiographies. Monographs selected must stand out for their analytical nature
  • Re-published texts, autobiographies and interviews are eligible only to the extent that the works show evidence of an in-depth critical analysis by the author
  • Only books whose manuscripts have undergone a peer review process involving an intersubjective validation are eligible.

Exclusions

Works corresponding to any of the following criteria are not eligible:

• Government publications, conference proceedings, translations and collective works;
• Works from online publishing houses, self-published works and books whose publication was subsidized by a sponsor;
• Works whose subject matter is not rooted in the past, present or future political reality of Québec society;
• Works by:
  • Current MNAs and their staff
  • The personnel of the National Assembly of Québec
  • Members of the Prize Steering Committee
  • Jury members

- In addition, a jury member may not submit a book, a doctoral dissertation or a Masters’ thesis to the Political Book Prize within two years of ceasing to serve in that capacity.

Jury

An independent jury composed of at least three members chosen for their expertise selects the finalists and the winner. It reserves the right to not award a prize.

Selection criteria

• Quality of language and writing style
• Structure and organization of the work
• Originality of the topic selected and of the research
• Unprecedented content
• Accessibility of the work and reading interest
• Contribution to the knowledge of Québec society through its political sphere

Description

These prizes recognize the quality and originality of doctoral dissertations and Masters’ theses on Québec politics and, more specifically, on its political life, political institutions, and political figures.

The Fondation Jean-Charles-Bonenfant awards four prizes in this category:

• $4,000 and $1,500 awarded to authors of doctoral dissertations
• $3,000 and $1,000 awarded to authors of Masters’ theses

Eligibility

To be eligible, a dissertation or thesis must

• Be written in French or English;
• Have been assessed or defended between January 1 and December 31, 2022, in an educational institution at the university level (located in or outside of Quebec);
• Work carried out as part of a co-supervision is eligible;
• Have received assessments attesting its high quality;
• Be at least 90 pages in length;
• Deal, in whole or in part, with Québec politics.

Exclusions

The following works are not eligible:

• Dissertations and theses whose subject matter is not rooted in the past, present or future political reality of Québec society.
• Works by:
  • MNAs and their staff
  • The personnel of the National Assembly of Québec
  • The members of the Prize Steering Committee
  • Jury members

- In addition, a jury member may not submit a book, a doctoral dissertation or a Masters’ thesis to the Political Book Prize within two years of ceasing to serve in that capacity.

Jury

An independent jury composed of at least three members chosen for their expertise selects the finalists and the winners. It reserves the right to not award a prize.

Should fewer than three dissertations or theses be submitted, the prizes in the corresponding category will not be awarded. The submissions will be deferred to the following edition of the Prix de la Fondation Jean-Charles-Bonenfant.

Selection criteria

• Content originality and novelty
• Writing readability and quality
• Subject’s scientific relevance
• Public interest for the subject, its political relevance

The award is suspended for this year.