OIPA Members Recognised in 2026 ACLS Open Access Book Prize Shortlist

OIPA Members Recognised in 2026 ACLS Open Access Book Prize Shortlist

We are delighted to announce that one of our member and two of our associate member presses are represented in the 2026 American Council of Learned Societies (ACLS) Open Access Book Prize and Arcadia Open Access Publishing Awards shortlist.

In total, books from OIPA members and associate members account for around 23% of the shortlisted titles. They are represented across five of the six categories, with two presses having more than one title on the list.

The shortlist includes:

• Open Book Publishers (associate member) – 3 books
• Amherst College Press (associate member) – 3 books, with one title shortlisted in two categories
• LSE Press (full member) – 1 book

A positive moment for open access publishing

It is encouraging to see open access presses so well represented in such a major prize shortlist. The ACLS awards recognise scholarly work across the humanities and social sciences, and inclusion in the shortlist reflects both the quality of the books and the strength of the publishing programmes behind them.

In 2025 there were three OIPA-published titles shortlisted, all from Open Book Publishers, and the year before there was one, Freedom Seekers, by the University of London Press, which went on to win the prize in the History category.

Continuing to build visibility

OIPA was established to support and connect open access publishers, and to promote sustainable approaches to open access scholarly publishing. Recognition of this kind helps to increase the visibility of that work and the role these presses play within the wider publishing landscape.

We congratulate Open Book Publishers, Amherst College Press, and LSE Press on their inclusion in this year’s shortlist, and we look forward to the announcement of the final prize winners!