‘Wonderfully personal history’ of Alexandria wins this year’s Runciman Award
The Anglo-Hellenic League has announced the winner of this year’s Runciman Award, with academic Islam Issa receiving the prestigious literary prize for “Alexandria: The City That Changed The World.”
The book, commented Judith Mossman, the chair of judges, during Monday’s ceremony at the Great Hall of King’s College London, “is a little like the city it describes: teeming, sprawling, full of life and sunshine, learned and, above all, a place for many cultures to meet and mingle.”
“It is a wonderfully personal history by an Alexandrian which celebrates the fertility of the city’s hybrid personality, the continuing relevance of its Hellenic origin and its unique contribution to the world. It’s a joyous read, full of fascinating detail, and a gentle humor,” she added.
Issa is a professor at Birmingham City University in the UK and renowned for his scholarly work in history and literature. His book is a “historical biography” of Alexandria from its founding by Alexander the Great to its current day-status as a major metropolitan center in post-colonial Egypt.
“Hellenism has always existed alongside other cultures – nowhere more so than in Alexandria, the great entrepot founded by Alexander the Great. Islam Issa’s winning book tells the story of this great city in all its richness and complexity,” noted the chair of the Council of the League, John Kittmer.
“It is a huge honor to receive the most prestigious award in the field” said Issa. The British-Egyptian scholar emphasized that this book represents his own “journey of self-discovery” which would resonate deeply “to generations of people linked to the city and its culture, and to individuals for whom Alexandria remains a part of the imagination.”
A panel of five judges award the literary prize to the author(s) of an English-language book that focuses on any Greek subject and which distinguishes itself for its quality and novelty. It is meant to inspire the development of literature showcasing Hellenism’s contribution to global “civilization and values.”
