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James Tait Black Prizes 2007

The 2007 James Tait Black Prizes went to God's Architect: Pugin and the Building of Romantic Britain by Rosemary Hill (Biography) and Our Horses in Egypt by Rosalind Belben (Fiction). 10 books made the shortlist across 2 categories.

Winners

Biography

  1. God's Architect: Pugin and the Building of Romantic Britain by Rosemary Hillsource (opens in a new tab)

Fiction

  1. Our Horses in Egypt by Rosalind Belbensource (opens in a new tab)

Shortlist

Biography

  1. Edith Wharton by Hermione Leesource (opens in a new tab)
  2. Hand Me My Travelin' Shoes: In Search of Blind Willie McTell by Michael Graysource (opens in a new tab)
  3. John Stuart Mill: Victorian Firebrand by Richard Reevessource (opens in a new tab)
  4. Young Stalin by Simon Sebag Montefioresource (opens in a new tab)

Fiction

  1. A Far Country by Daniel Masonsource (opens in a new tab)
  2. Salvage by Gee Williamssource (opens in a new tab)
  3. The Devil's Footprints by John Burnsidesource (opens in a new tab)
  4. The Reluctant Fundamentalist by Mohsin Hamidsource (opens in a new tab)

About the James Tait Black Prizes

Fiction and Biography shortlists and winners; Drama (2012-2019) is excluded. Year is the prize year as the University labels it: the books' publication year, with winners announced the following summer (the 2024 prizes were announced in August 2025). Each book appears once, as Winner or Shortlist. 2023 Biography had joint winners. Shortlists from University of Edinburgh news releases (ed.ac.uk, cahss.ed.ac.uk, james-tait-black.ed.ac.uk, and a 2010 University Bulletin PDF for 2009) for 2009, 2010 and 2012-2025. Fallbacks where no university page survives: 2006 from RTE, 2007 from The Guardian, 2008 from BBC News, 2011 from Deadline News. Shortlist sizes vary: 6 per category in 2006, 5 in 2007-2009 and 2025, 6 Biography in 2023, 5 Biography in 2024, 4 otherwise.

Organization: University of Edinburgh. Years are award years, which can differ from publication years. Official site (opens in a new tab)

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