‘Richly deserved’: Reflecting on Freedom Seekers and the ACLS Open Access Book Prize and Arcadia Open Access Publishing Award

Earlier this year, we were excited to announce that Freedom Seekers: Escaping from Slavery in Restoration London by Simon P. Newman had won the ACLS Open Access Book Prize and Arcadia Open Access Publishing Award, an award that highlights exceptional scholarship made available through open access. As we mentioned in our previous post, the book won in the History category, and the judges felt that the book offered ‘a new view into slavery’s deeply embedded history in Britain and the Atlantic world’, giving a fresh perspective on the experiences of enslaved people seeking freedom in London.

Now, we’re pleased to share more content from the recent prize ceremony, where the author Simon P. Newman and the publisher, Emma Gallon, took the stage to discuss the book, the process of publishing it, and the importance of creative, collaborative solutions for open access publishing. For those who missed the ceremony or are eager to hear more, we’ve included videos of the conversations with Simon and Emma.

The ongoing discussion surrounding the importance of open access publishing continues to grow, and the ACLS Open Access Book Prize and Arcadia Open Access Publishing Award shines a well-deserved spotlight on Freedom Seekers and its contribution to historical scholarship. By offering the book for free to anyone with an internet connection, we are helping to ensure that Simon’s work reaches as wide an audience as possible, whether they are scholars, students, or anyone interested in understanding the history of slavery.

You can explore Freedom Seekers through our open access platform, Manifold and it’s also available to purchase in print.

Our congratulations again to Simon P. Newman for this well-earned recognition.