Lukas Prizes Honor Books on Homelessness, US Census, and Ancient India

Annual awards recognize exemplary works of literary journalism and nonfiction history.

Mar. 17, 2026 at 3:21pm

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The J. Anthony Lukas Project, a joint initiative of Columbia Journalism School and the Nieman Foundation for Journalism at Harvard University, has announced the winners of its prestigious annual book prizes. The Lukas Book Prize of $10,000 was awarded to Jeff Hobbs for "Seeking Shelter: A Working Mother, Her Children, and a Story of Homelessness in America". The Mark Lynton Prize for History, also $10,000, went to William Dalrymple for "The Golden Road: How Ancient India Transformed the World". The Lukas Work-in-Progress Awards of $25,000 each were given to danah boyd for "Data Are Made, Not Found: A Story of Politics, Power, and the Civil Servants Who Saved the U.S. Census" and Karim Zidan for "In the Shadow of the Cage".

Why it matters

The Lukas Prizes are highly regarded in the literary and journalism communities, honoring works that combine literary merit, rigorous research, and social impact. The winning books cover important topics like homelessness, the U.S. Census, and the global influence of ancient India, highlighting the project's commitment to recognizing impactful nonfiction storytelling.

The details

The Lukas Prizes were established in 1998 by the Columbia Journalism School and the Nieman Foundation for Journalism at Harvard University to honor the legacy of the late author and investigative journalist J. Anthony Lukas. This year's winners were selected from a competitive pool of submissions, with the Lukas Book Prize and Mark Lynton Prize for History each awarding $10,000, and the Lukas Work-in-Progress Awards granting $25,000 to support the completion of two forthcoming books.

  • The winners were announced on March 17, 2026.

The players

Jeff Hobbs

The winner of the Lukas Book Prize for his work "Seeking Shelter: A Working Mother, Her Children, and a Story of Homelessness in America".

William Dalrymple

The winner of the Mark Lynton Prize for History for his book "The Golden Road: How Ancient India Transformed the World".

danah boyd

The recipient of a Lukas Work-in-Progress Award for her forthcoming book "Data Are Made, Not Found: A Story of Politics, Power, and the Civil Servants Who Saved the U.S. Census".

Karim Zidan

The recipient of a Lukas Work-in-Progress Award for his forthcoming book "In the Shadow of the Cage".

J. Anthony Lukas

The late author and investigative journalist for whom the Lukas Prizes are named.

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The takeaway

The Lukas Prizes continue to recognize exceptional works of literary journalism and nonfiction history that shed light on important social issues and the human experience. This year's winners showcase the power of rigorous reporting and storytelling to illuminate topics ranging from homelessness to the global influence of ancient civilizations.