Dear IACR members and friends,
On behalf of the Cheryl Frank Memorial Prize Committee 2021, I have the pleasure of announcing the following:
The Cheryl Frank Memorial Prize 2021
About the Prize: The Cheryl Frank Memorial Prize is awarded annually for a book that constitutes, motivates or exemplifies the best and/or most innovative writing in or about the tradition of critical realism, published in the previous year (2020). The winner is invited to give the annual Cheryl Frank Memorial Lecture at the IACR Annual Conference or some other suitable venue. If the Author wishes, the lecture will be considered for publication in Journal of Critical Realism.
This year’s Cheryl Frank Committee consisted of David Elder-Vass (who chaired the Committee), Monica Kjorstad and Ross Morrow.
The Committee met on August 4th and following discussion unanimously agreed that the prize for a book published in 2020 be awarded to:
Hubert Buch-Hansen and Peter Nielsen, Critical Realism: Basics and Beyond: Red Globe Press https://www.redglobepress.com//page/detail/Critical-Realism/?K=9781352010657
Buch-Hansen and Nielsen’s textbook provides a clear and accessible introduction to critical realism for students and researchers in the social sciences, explaining its advantages over competing approaches persuasively. It also goes beyond the textbook form in synthesising a critical explanatory approach to perhaps the two most momentous issues of our times: neoliberalism and climate change. The book will make a significant contribution to bringing critical realism to new audiences.
The committee also wished to commend Nick Wilson’s book, The Space that Separates: A Realist Theory of Art: Routledge https://www.routledge.com/The-Space-that-Separates-A-Realist-Theory-of-Art/Wilson/p/book/9780367784140 This is an enormously ambitious and innovative attempt to construct a critical realist theory of art, building on Bhaskar’s neglected philosophy of metareality. We expect that it will be a major influence on future critical realist work in this area.
Thanks to those who nominated works and thanks to the judges for their time and expertise.
Best regards,
Lene Nyhus
General Secretary, IACR