JULIAN HOFFMAN WINS THE ANGLO-HELLENIC LEAGUE’S RUNCIMAN AWARD 2026 FOR LIFELINES
We are delighted to announce that the winner of the Anglo-Hellenic League’s Runciman Award 2026 is Julian Hoffman for Lifelines: Searching for Home in the Mountains of Greece (Elliott and Thompson 2025).
Announcing the result of this year’s competition at tonight’s ceremony in the Great Hall of King’s College London, Sofka Zinovieff, chair of judges, said:
The judges were thrilled by the range and quality of books entered for the Anglo-Hellenic League's Runciman Award. Choosing the seven shortlisted books was an epic task, deciding the winner a Herculean challenge. Lifelines by Julian Hoffman is a remarkable work of literature. Beautifully written, it transports the reader to a remote part of northern Greece and examines fascinating aspects of contemporary rural life and the natural world.
The winner of the Award, Julian Hoffman, said:
I’m deeply honoured to receive the Anglo-Hellenic League’s Runciman Award for Lifelines. Nearly a quarter of a century in the making, this story goes all the way back to the day that my wife, Julia, and I read a book about the Prespa lakes in northern Greece, one that inspired us to leave our London lives behind to try and put down roots there instead. Books can, and do, change lives. It’s been an enormous privilege to share some of the stories of Prespa – a place at the crossroads of three countries, where rich local cultures exist alongside pelican colonies and brown bears; where a pair of ancient lakes are receding due to climate change; and where bridges are slowly being built across borders. Prespa has not only fundamentally shaped my life, it has shown me how the lifelines of the world hold together the greater home of us all.
Chair of the Anglo-Hellenic League’s Council, Professor Kevin Featherstone, said:
Julian Hoffman's Lifelines is a wonderful evocation of a life transplanted from London to the mountains of Northern Greece, and an ornament to the Runciman Award in its 40th anniversary year. The Council and members of the Anglo-Hellenic League extend their warmest congratulations to Julian and continued thanks to the Award's generous sponsors, the A.G. Leventis Foundation and the Athanasios C. Laskaridis Charitable Foundation.
The Award ceremony was co-hosted by the Centre for Hellenic Studies at King’s College London and the Anglo-Hellenic League.
Sofka Zinovieff reviewed the shortlisted books on behalf of the panel of judges and announced the winner.
The Award was presented by the Greek ambassador to the UK, Yiannis Tsaousis. The winner gave an acceptance speech and introduced his winning book to the audience.
Author and screen writer Kallia Papadaki gave a keynote talk entitled “Being in Two Places at Once”.
Short addresses were also given by Professor Kevin Featherstone and Dr Jonathan Williams (the League) and Prof. Gonda Van Steen (KCL).
The Anglo-Hellenic League’s Runciman Award is sponsored by the Athanasios C. Laskaridis Charitable Foundation and the A.G. Leventis Foundation.