The “outstandingly original scholar” Lyndal Roper has won the 2026 Holberg Prize.

Lyndal Roper, a scholar of early European history and the Regius Chair of History at the University of Oxford emeritus, has been announced as the 2026 Laureate of the Holberg Prize. The Holberg Prize is awarded annually to a scholar who has made outstanding contributions to research in the humanities, social sciences, law, or theology, and who has had a decisive influence on international research. The prize includes a purse of NOK 6,000,000 (about $630,000). Roper’s work has reshaped understandings of witch persecutions, the German Peasants’ War (1524–1525), and the life and thought of Martin Luther. Roper said she’s been trying to do history from below, to include the voices of ordinary people, of all kinds, colors and classes, and of women in particular.

The Holberg Prize announced Lyndal Roper, a scholar of early European history and the Regius Chair of History at the University of Oxford emeritus, as its 2026 Laureate.
The Holberg Prize, which includes a purse of NOK 6,000,000 (about $630,000) is awarded annually to “a scholar who has made outstanding contributions to research in the humanities, social sciences, law or theology,” and who has “had a decisive influence on international research.
“Over the course of my career, I’ve been trying to do history from below,” Roper said, “that is, I wanted a history that would include the voices of ordinary people, of all kinds, colors and classes, and of women in particular.

📚 BookAddict’s Take: If you value deep historical analysis that incorporates diverse perspectives, Roper’s work sounds like a must-read, and her insights on the importance of humanities in the age of AI are particularly relevant.

Source: Literary Hub |
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