Awards

The MRDS is pleased to recognize achievements in research of early drama studies, announced each year at the International Congress on Medieval Studies. Each category of submissions is judged by committees made up of members of the MRDS Executive Council or the membership at large. Search our archives for a complete listing of past winners in all four categories.

Eligibility

Both members and non-members of the MRDS are invited to submit.

 

Deadline

January 31, 2025

 

Categories

The Alexandra Johnston Award is for the best conference paper in early drama studies by a graduate student. The committee will consider any presentation given within twelve months of the deadline. Winners receive $250 USD as well as a one-year membership to the MRDS and ROMARD.
 
The Martin Stevens Award is for the best new essay in early drama studies. The committee will consider any essay published within eighteen months of the deadline. Winners receive $250 USD as well as a one-year membership to the MRDS and ROMARD.
 
The Barbara Palmer Award is for the best new essay in early drama archival research. The committee will consider any essay published within eighteen months of the deadline. Winners receive $250 USD as well as a one-year membership to the MRDS and ROMARD.
 
The Claire Sponsler Award is for the best first book in early drama studies, exclusive of Shakespeare and edited collections. The committee will consider any first book published within eighteen months of the deadline. Winners receive $250 USD as well as a two-year membership to the MRDS and ROMARD.
 
The David Bevington Award is for the best new book in early drama studies, exclusive of Shakespeare and edited collections. The committee will consider any book published within eighteen months of the deadline. Winners receive $250 USD as well as a two-year membership to the MRDS and ROMARD.

 

Submission

For the Johnston Award, papers should include the name and date of the conference at which the paper was delivered, the presenter's name, the title of the paper, a contact number and an email address. The committee will consider any essay presented in the twelve months before the deadline. Entries should not exceed 5,000 words, excluding notes. Please send the paper as an attachment to esolberg@bowdoin.edu. We encourage graduate students to seek out a mentor to review their work before submission; MRDS members are happy to serve as mentors.

For the Palmer and Stevens Awards, please send the published article as an attachment to esolberg@bowdoin.edu. Qualifying essays published in a collection may be submitted for the Stevens and Palmer Awards. All essays submitted will be considered for both awards, if appropriate, but no essay can win both prizes. Qualifying essays published in a collection may be submitted for the Stevens and Palmer Awards.

For the Sponsler and Bevington Awards, please send three hard copies of the book (plus a copy in digital form if you like) to Emma Maggie Solberg at Bowdoin College, C/O English Department, 8300 College Station, Brunswick, ME 04011. An author unable to supply a hard copy, may submit the book in digital form only, though hard copy is preferred. Digital copies should be sent to esolberg@bowdoin.edu. Publishers: please limit submissions for the Bevington to two books per year.

 

Announcement

Awards will be announced and presented at the annual MRDS public business meeting at the annual meeting of the International Congress on Medieval Studies (ICMS) a Western Michigan University in Kalamazoo, Michigan. Each category of submissions is judged by committees made up of three or more members of the MRDS Executive Council.