Suffolk Local History Bob Malster Prize 2026.

Following the great success of last year’s inaugural Bob Malster Prize, the Suffolk Local History Council (SLHC) are pleased to launch the Suffolk Local History Bob Malster Prize 2026.

Bob Malster, who passed away in 2023, was one of Suffolk’s most outstanding and prolific local historians. Bob was responsible for furthering a wide range of historical knowledge and activities in Suffolk and his numerous publications made a huge contribution to the canon of local history in the county. SLHC was formed in 1953 and continues today to actively encourage and support the study of local history in Suffolk. Bob was a very long term member of SLHC, serving on its Executive Committee for decades.

We are delighted to announce that the 2025 Prize was won by Sue Andrews with her outstanding essay, Paying for a place in heaven: requesting intercessory prayers in a Suffolk market town during the 15th Century. Sue studied the wills of a selection of residents of Hadleigh and uncovered evidence to show how important it was for those living during the period to know that they would be prayed for while working their way through purgatory and into heaven. Sue has been researching and writing about different aspects of Suffolk history since she first came to the county in 1968, while a student at teacher training college. Over the years she has contributed articles to, amongst others, the Suffolk Review, and in 2020 won an award from the British Association for Local History.

The 2025 entries were of such a high standard we decided to award a runner-up prize of £250. This prize was awarded to Anya Page for her excellent work, Unsuitable work for a woman? Women’s wartime work through the lens of the Bury St Edmunds Military Service Tribunal, 1916-1918. Anya researched the rare papers preserved from the Bury St Edmunds Military Service tribunal and used them to look at the role and consequences of women’s employment in the town during the First World War, when they were called to replace conscripted men. Anya is a writer and researcher based in Suffolk with a particular interest in twentieth century social history. Her writing and research reflect her interest in the silences and omissions in recorded histories.

SLHC will again be offering a £500 prize in memory of Bob and is inviting those interested in local history in Suffolk to submit to the competition a piece of original work (c. 5,000 words), suitable for publication in the SLHC journal, the Suffolk Review.

Please see https://slhc.org.uk/malster-prize/ for full criteria and entry details. Any further queries, please contact malsterprize@slhc.org.uk

Closing date: 14th August 2026

Prize to be awarded at SLHC AGM on Saturday 14th November 2026