Canadian Professor of History recipient of Holberg International Memorial Prize 2010

The Holberg International Memorial Prize is awarded annually to researchers who have made outstanding contributions in the fields of the arts and humanities, social sciences, law or theology. This year’s prizewinner is Natalie Zemon Davis, Professor of History at the University of Toronto, Canada.

Natalie Zemon Davis (Photo: John Carvalho)

“Natalie Zemon Davis is one of the most creative historians writing today, an intellectual who is not hostage to any particular school of thought or politics”, reads the awards committee citation. “Her writing is richly textured, multi-faceted and meticulously documented. She shows how particular events can be narrated and analyzed so as to reveal deeper historical tendencies and underlying patterns of thought and action. Her work brings gender to the fore, while insisting that the relationship between men and women is always embedded in the cultural discourses and social organizations specific to their time.”

Source: The Research Council of Norway