The Manhattan Institute Announces Finalists for Hayek Book Prize
New York, NY— The Manhattan Institute is pleased to announce the list of finalists for its 17th annual Hayek Book Prize. The prize celebrates authors whose work best reflects F. A. Hayek’s vision of economic and individual liberty.
The finalists are:
- Charter Schools and Their Enemies by Thomas Sowell (Basic Books, June 30, 2020)
- Open: The Story of Human Progress by Johan Norberg (Atlantic Books, November 15, 2020)
- The Conservative Sensibility by George Will (Hachette Books, June 4, 2019)
- Margaret Thatcher: The Authorized Biography by Charles Moore (Allen Lane, published in three volumes between 2015 and 2019; this would be presented as an award for the entire trilogy and not for any specific volume)
- Loonshots: How to Nurture the Crazy Ideas that Win Wars, Cure Diseases, and Transform Industries by Safi Bahcall (St. Martin’s Press, March 19, 2019)
“The Covid experience reminds us of what Hayek taught. National emergency provides the pretext for government expansion and arbitrary behavior by government. The many candidates for the Hayek Prize remind us how important it is to support and honor authors who call attention to such challenges," said Amity Shlaes, jury chair.
“From describing the virtues of economic opportunity and the institutions that make it possible, to telling the stories of the people and principles that have contributed to some of the most innovative ideas in history, this year’s Hayek Book Prize finalists span a wide range of topics,” added Manhattan Institute President Reihan Salam. “But each shares a commitment to deepening our understanding of the roots of human flourishing.”
The winner, who will receive a $50,000 award, will be announced in the spring and will deliver the annual Hayek lecture later this year.
About the Hayek Lecture and Book Prize
Political philosopher and Nobel laureate F. A. Hayek, author of groundbreaking works such as The Road to Serfdom and The Constitution of Liberty, was the key figure in the twentieth century revival of classical liberalism. He was also a formative influence on the Manhattan Institute. When our founder, Sir Antony Fisher, asked how best to reverse the erosion of freedom, Hayek advised him not to begin with politics per se but to fight first on the battlefield of ideas. The Hayek Lecture and Prize affirm and celebrate this mission.
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