The Lionel Gelber Prize Announces its Shortlist for the World’s Best Book on Global Affairs

January 17, 2011 (Toronto and Washington).

The shortlist for the 2011 Lionel Gelber Prize was announced today by Sara Charney, chair of the Lionel Gelber Prize Board and niece of Lionel Gelber.

Yalta: The Price of Peace by Serhii M. Plokhy (U.S.A.), published by Viking/New York
Jury Citation: A work of outstanding scholarship which brings to light important interpretations based on newly available Russian documents. Going beyond the western sources, this is a seminal treatment of a profoundly important moment in history.

Why the West Rules – for Now by Ian Morris (U.S.A.), published by McClelland & Stewart/Toronto
Jury Citation: A grand sweep through history which raises provocative issues about the future of the global system. Tracing the path from ancient times to the present, Morris makes us think hard about the future.

Arrival City: The Final Migration and our Next World by Doug Saunders (U.K.), published by Alfred A. Knopf Canada/Toronto
Jury Citation: An original treatment of a subject that is one of the most important issues of our time. Saunders takes us inside the cities of the world and provides a rich, granular description of neighbourhoods around the world that allow people to refashion their lives.

The Hungry World: America’s Cold War Battle Against Poverty in Asia by Nick Cullather (U.S.A.), published by Harvard University Press/Cambridge, MA
Jury Citation: This is an important and daring corrective to those who write about history as population control. A masterful blend of politics and science, this story teaches important lessons for those thinking hard about the politics of science, hunger and food security.

Polar Imperative: A History of Arctic Sovereignty in North America by Shelagh D. Grant (Canada), published by Douglas & McIntyre/Toronto
Jury Citation: The Arctic is front and centre on the global agenda and Grant provides a vital history of competing claims to sovereignty which is essential reading. Rippled with adventure, this essential reading is an authoritative history for anyone interested in understanding why the world’s attention is shifting to the Arctic.

About the Lionel Gelber Prize:
The Lionel Gelber Prize is a literary award for the world’s best non-fiction book in English that seeks to deepen public debate on significant global issues. The winning author receives $15,000. The Prize is presented annually by The Lionel Gelber Foundation, in partnership with the Munk School of Global Affairs at the University of Toronto and Foreign Policy magazine.

The Prize Jury:
Jury Chair Paul Cadario (Canada) is senior manager for Trust Fund Quality Assurance and Compliance at the World Bank. A Rhodes Scholar, he serves on a wide range of councils and committees at the World Bank as well as at the University of Toronto.

David Frum (U.S.A.) is a Canadian and American journalist who is active in both the American and Canadian political arenas. He is the author of The Right Man: The Surprise Presidency of George W. Bush, as well as Dead Right and How We Got Here.

Rachel Lomax (U.K.) has served as deputy governor, Monetary Stability, at the Bank of England and as vice president and chief of staff to the president of the World Bank. She is a non-executive director of The Scottish American Investment Company PLC and Reinsurance Group of America, Inc.

Mark Starowicz (Canada) is executive director of CBC’s Documentary Programming. In a radio and television career spanning over three decades, he has created some of Canada’s most influential programs. A member of the Order of Canada, his current project is The History of World War II.

Steven Weber (U.S.A.) is a specialist in international relations at the University of California at Berkeley and senior policy advisor with the Glover Park Group in Washington, D.C. who actively consults with government agencies, private multinational firms, and international non-governmental organizations on issues of foreign policy, risk analysis, strategy, and forecasting.

Key Dates:
The winner of the 2011 Lionel Gelber Prize, to be announced on Tuesday, March 1, will deliver the annual Lionel Gelber Lecture at an award ceremony on Tuesday, March 29. The lecture is open to the public and will be held at the Munk School of Global Affairs in Toronto. The winner will also appear in Washington, D.C., at an event hosted by Foreign Policy magazine.