Alumna’s Book Shortlisted for Prestigious British Academy Prize

St Cross congratulates alumna Bronwen Everill (2006, MSt Archaeological Science) on her book being shortlisted for the British Academy Book Prize 2025. Africonomics: A History of Western Ignorance is Bronwen’s fourth book, published with HarperCollins. 

In the book, Bronwen explores how attempts to fix African economies have often failed by transposing Western models and not making use of local economic traditions. The book outlines how external interventions misunderstood African contexts and offers a perspective that centres Africa’s own histories, values, and approaches to economic life.

The British Academy Book Prize, worth £25,000, recognises and celebrates writing grounded in high-quality research – works of non-fiction that inspire readers to deepen their understanding of people, societies, and cultures across time and place. This year’s shortlist features six bold, original works by leading experts, offering fresh perspectives on global issues through rigorous research and compelling storytelling. 

Previously director of the Centre of African Studies at the University of Cambridge, Bronwen is now on the faculty of the Princeton Writing Program. She is a Fellow of the Royal Historical Society and a visiting fellow at the Laboratory for the Economics of Africa’s Past in the Department of Economics at Stellenbosch University. 

View the full shortlist here.