William Mills Prize for Non-Fiction Polar Books

The William Mills Prize for Non-Fiction Polar Books was established in memory of William Mills, who was a core member of Polar Libraries Colloquy during its formative years and a consummate polar librarian as well as author.

The book prize honors the best Arctic or Antarctic nonfiction books published throughout the world. The prize consists of $300 US, certificates for the author and publisher, and the right to use the William Mills Prize logo when advertising the winning book.

Winning titles are announced on pollib-L, on the Colloquy web site, in the Polar Libraries Bulletin and other appropriate library publications. The prize was first awarded in 2006.

Qualifications for Nomination

  1. The book must be nonfiction, about the Arctic or Antarctic.
  2. The book may be any type of substantive work of nonfiction, or reference resource. Textbooks, anthologies, edited works, and other small-scale efforts will not be considered unless they are truly outstanding contributions to the polar literature.
  3. The book must have been published for the first time between the dates of the last Colloquy and the December 31st before the Colloquy at which the award will be given. Re-releases, translations of older materials, and updated editions will not be eligible.
  4. The official language of the Colloquy is English. For this reason books must be published in an English language version to be eligible.

For more information, please contact Deborah Hicks, email: deborah.hicks@ualberta.ca.

William Mills Prize Recipients & Nominees