With support from the A.W. Mellon Foundation, the Center for the Humanities is pleased to announce a new program for tenure-track assistant professors in the humanities and interpretive social sciences. First Book will support the production and completion of nearly completed scholarly manuscripts by junior faculty. This program is designed to provide helpful and timely feedback to junior faculty preparing their first academic book. In the pilot year we will offer one seminar in the spring semester. In future years, we hope to offer two additional seminars, one added seminar for assistant professors (“First Book”) and one new seminar for associate professors (“Second Book”).
Program Description
The core of the program is a workshop organized by the Center for the Humanities in which two external and 5-7 internal readers are brought together to discuss a book manuscript with the author. The workshop structure will allow the reviewers and author to respond to one another’s comments and collectively devise strategies for improving the manuscript. The goal is to turn solid and promising manuscripts into first-rate books.
Manuscripts selected for participation in this program will be copied and distributed to participating UW-Madison faculty and external reviewers identified by the author (in consultation with the Center Director). The Center then will organize a workshop in which the readers will discuss the work and assist the author in developing strategies for improving (and placing) the manuscript. The focus of the program will be on collective learning and constructive, informed criticism of a scholar’s research. This will be a closed workshop, and it will be recorded for the author’s benefit.
The workshop will consist of both formal presentations and informal commentary from the group. Invited guests will present their responses to the book, while local participants will participate in a discussion of the book. The author will have a chance to respond to the presentations and the commentaries. In order to continue the discussion, the Center will host a dinner for all participants.
The Center will carry all the costs for the program, including copying and distribution of the manuscript, travel, accommodation and honoraria for the external reviewers, and dinner following the workshop.
Eligibility and Criteria
In its first year, this program is open to all tenure-track, junior faculty in the humanities and interpretive social sciences with manuscripts that are near completion, but still in a position to benefit from the review. Participants in the workshop can be humanities faculty at any rank. Proposals must be for the discussion of scholarly manuscripts being written with the aim to secure a publishing contract. Authors and their book projects will be selected based on the potential significance of the finished work, and the potential impact of the book on the author’s career. Academic accomplishments also will be taken into account.
Workshop proposals must include the following components:
1. A one-page summary of the book in development, including a schedule for completion. In this summary, applicants should also include a statement indicating whether the work is under contract with a publisher.
2. A one-page narrative explaining why and how this opportunity will be important to the process of completing the work. In this narrative, applicants should include a brief statement specifying their tenure and/or promotion timelines.
3. A list of prospective invitees to the workshop, to include: (1) two scholars external to UW-Madison; (2) a list of general invitees to the workshops from the campus, including their departmental affiliations. The list may include no more than 15 people. Please note that this list is intended to give the review committee a sense of the workshop to be proposed and will not be considered final. Applicants should not make any advance commitments to anyone on their list beyond confirming the general interest of the prospective participant, if this are deemed necessary.
4. A current curriculum vitae.
5. Names and email addresses of two referees, one of whom should be external to UW-Madison. Actual letters are not required at this time.
Proposals must be submitted by 5:00 PM on Friday, October 9, 2009, and sent via email attachment to Sandy Nuzback . Please include the phrase “Book Workshop Proposal” in the subject line.
