In 2008 the Society for French Studies launched an annual Malcolm Bowie Prize, to be awarded for the best article published in the preceding year by an early-career researcher in the broader discipline of French Studies. 

Malcolm Bowie was not only the most eminent and inspirational Anglophone scholar of French literature and theory of his generation, he was a towering figure in the field because of his tireless devotion to the scholarly community both in the UK and abroad, his service to the Society for French Studies offering but one example of this: he was President of the Society from 1994 to 1996, as well as General editor of its journal (French Studies) from 1980 to 1987. The Society felt that it was particularly appropriate to honour his memory by founding a prize for which only early-career scholars will be eligible, since he was a remarkable mentor to countless younger scholars, both in the UK and abroad.

The Society invites nominations of articles published in 2020 from editors of learned journals, editors or publishers of collected volumes, and heads of university departments.Authors may not self-nominate (though they may ask editors, publishers, or university departments to consider nominating them). There is a limit of one entry per author per calendar year while eligible. Where more than one nomination for an author is received, the panel chair will ask for the author’s preference as to which entry goes forward. To be eligible for nomination, authors must be within five years of obtaining their PhD when their article is published. In addition, they must either have been registered for their PhD or worked since then in a Department of French/Modern Languages, or equivalent. Articles may be published anywhere in the world, but must be written in French or English.

Nominations should be submitted by email to Professor Michael Syrotinski (Michael.Syrotinski@glasgow.ac.uk), together with a statement which includes full publication details of the article concerned and an indication of how the candidate satisfies the two criteria for eligibility specified above. Nominations should be accompanied by a PDF file of the article as it appears in print. Nominations not accompanied by a PDF file will not be valid.

The deadline for receipt of nominations for the 2020 Prize (including the article itself) is 31 January 2021. Entries may be submitted immediately.