Cardiff University historian wins the Owsley award for distinguished book on the American South
10 July 2025
An historian at Cardiff University has become only the 2nd-ever non-American based Owsley prize winner for his book on slavery in the United States.
Dr David Doddington, a senior lecturer in North American history, has won 2025’s Southern Historical Association (SHA)’s Frank L. and Harriet C. Owsley Award for his book Old Age and American Slavery. The panel described the book as, “a brilliant and gripping achievement.”
The book explores perceptions of old age and attitudes towards “old” people in the US South, focusing on the experiences and identities of enslavers and the enslaved, exploring how aging affected the systems and beliefs underpinning slavery in the US.
It also analyses ongoing debates on power, resistance, and survival, deepening understanding of the structures of American slavery, and personal experiences of those within it.
On winning the award, Dr Doddington said, “I’m genuinely flabbergasted. Books in this list include some of the most influential studies in the field, written by historians who have made an indelible influence in the profession. It feels absurd to see my name next to theirs, and I’m waiting for someone to tell me it’s a practical joke.
The SHA is an institution that has meant an enormous amount to me in my professional development. I believe I am only the second non-US based historian to receive this distinguished book award, and I am just beyond honoured.
“My research was supported by the Leverhulme Trust, and I am enormously grateful.
“To mark the award, my kids (expertly mobilised by my wife) made outstanding celebration cards: I’m holding a trophy - on top of a rainbow - obviously. They also bought me a gift which somehow coincidently included the chocolate they really wanted to eat. So, we got to share in the celebration. It felt entirely appropriate to get some nice bourbon, too.”
Dr Doddington’s next book will look at the aftermath of slavery in the US, exploring how generational relationships shifted among Black southerners as they navigated freedom and the afterlives of slavery.
He concluded, “I was very fortunate to be nominated for this award by my publisher, Cambridge University Press (CUP). I have received outstanding support from the editors involved in the series, Studies on the American South. My thanks go to Mark Smith, Peter Coclanis, and Cecelia Cancellaro, as well as to the broader awards team working at CUP.”
The Frank L. and Harriet C. Owsley Award is given in recognition of a distinguished book in southern history published in even-numbered years and is awarded in odd-numbered years.
