Background

When the historical biographer, Elizabeth Longford died, aged 96, in October 2003, her granddaughter Flora Fraser and Peter Soros, Flora’s American husband, had the idea of founding a prize. Commemorating Elizabeth Longford’s name, it should celebrate annually a historical biography which, like hers, combined scholarship and narrative drive. As the prize – soon given the name which it bears today – took shape, Peter’s business background was invaluable. The Prize, it was agreed, should be judged by a panel of distinguished historians and historical biographers. The noted historical biographer, Antonia Fraser – Elizabeth’s daughter and Flora’s mother – became Founding Chair of Judges in 2003 and, since 2008,  Professor Roy Foster has been her splendid successor.

Thanks are due to the distinguished biographer, Michael Holroyd, who gave Flora much advice about framing the Prize upon its foundation in 2003, following the death of Elizabeth Longford the previous October, and to all Winners and Judges, who have helped make the Prize what it is today. It is now administered in-house, but from 2003 to 2021 was under the kindly umbrella of the Society of Authors, the trade union for writers, illustrators and literary translators. It was an education and a pleasure for all at the ELHB to work with Mark Le Fanu, Dorothy Sym, Nicola Solomon and Paula Johnson at the Society.