W. Hamish Fraser wins the Robert and Vineta Colby Scholarly Book Prize 2024

We are delighted to share the news that W. Hamish Fraser has been awarded the 2024 Robert and Vineta Colby Scholarly Book Prize for his book, The Edinburgh History of Scottish Newspapers, 1850-1950.

From the Award Committee

'Comprehensive, meticulously researched and argued, and impressively wide in scope, The Edinburgh History of Scottish Newspapers, 1850-1950 is an invaluable book for the specialist on Scottish newspapers and the long nineteenth-century periodical press as well as the general reader. In this generous and engaging study, serving as both a rich reference resource and a compelling historical argument, W. Hamish Fraser uncovers a fascinating trove of material on Scottish newspapers, giving a compelling account of the press and its political, social, and economic contexts. Focusing substantially on the last half of the nineteenth century, with detailed chapters on individual newspapers, analysis of the complex relationship between proprietors, editors, and journalists, and case studies on politics, religion, and identity, this book is a major contribution to periodical press scholarship.'

More on the Award

Presented by The Research Society for Victorian Periodicals, The Colby Prize is intended to honour original book-length scholarship about nineteenth-century periodicals and newspapers of the kind that Robert and Vineta Colby themselves produced during their careers. The annual prize is awarded to a book published during the preceding year that most advances our understanding of the nineteenth-century British press.

Find out more about the Robert and Vineta Colby Prize.

More on the Book

The Edinburgh History of Scottish Newspapers, 1850-1950 presents the first comprehensive examination of daily and weekly newspapers in Scotland in the century after 1850. Filling a significant gap in the history of the Scottish press and in Scottish social history, the book draws on a range of sources. It examines the great expansion of Scottish newspapers, following the removal of the ‘taxes on knowledge’ through to the mid-20th century.

W. Hamish Fraser provides the historical basis for meaningful, in-depth study of many different aspects of the Scottish press and adds a new dimension to Scottish historical studies. Through an extensive search of newspapers, the use of local history material and of the limited business and organisational records that are available, he gathers little-known information on the world of Scottish journalism and on the people who provided the mass of the population with their news and tried to shape their attitudes. By focusing on different regions, he moves away from earlier rather sweeping generalisations on a key part of the media in Scotland, and he assesses the extent of continuity and change in a crucial century.

Explore the book and order your copy.