Last night (12th March) a large crowd of guests gathered to see which of the authors shortlisted for the Winston Graham Historical Prize 2026 would scoop the prestigious accolade. The prize comes with a cheque for £3,000 and the seal of approval from a large group of discerning readers and a panel of expert judges.

Winston Graham, author of the Poldark novels, was a fond user of the museum where he researched and wrote some of his material. Last night those gathered were honoured to be joined by Winston’s son, Dr. Andrew Graham, for the presentation ceremony.

Benjamin Wood’s Seascraper, published by Penguin Random House, was the ultimate winner; set in Northern England in the 1960s, Wood’s fifth novel has been described by critics as timeless, with a cinematic setting and a captivating protagonist.

Benjamin said:

It’s a great honour to receive the Winston Graham Historical Prize, not least because it’s an award that celebrates writing with a strong sense of place. More and more, I’ve come to understand that the atmosphere of a story’s setting is the thing which most informs and motivates my process as a fiction writer, and this is particularly true of Seascraper, which I built from memories, experiences, and research into the heritage of my hometown of Southport. I was so pleased to have been shortlisted alongside four authors whose work is so varied and exceptional, and I’m delighted my book has been given this meaningful recognition.

The rest of the shortlist, described as essential reading in its entirety by the judges, was as follows: Helm by Sarah Hall (Faber & Faber), The Two Roberts by Damian Barr (Canongate), The Pretender by Jo Harkin and Time of The Child by Niall Williams (both published by Bloomsbury).

The judging panel consisted of Winston’s daughter-in-law and distinguished academic Peggotty Graham, Chair of Judges Charlotte Hobson, authors Patrick Gale and Wyl Menmuir, book blogger Cathy Johnson, and editor and writer Sravya Raju.

Charlotte reflected on the judges’ task this year:

Historical fiction seems to be experiencing a period of ascendancy in the literary world at the moment, with historical novels scooping many of the major fiction prizes recently. The variety, freshness and power of our shortlisted titles this year are more evidence of the talent now choosing this genre – I’m sure, as in previous years, we’ll see these books gracing many other prize announcement!

The 2026 prize was generously sponsored by Hotel Tresanton, with support from St Eval, Old Chapel Cellars, The Sea Shed and Amanda Taffinder Flowers.

While guests enjoyed the build-up to the big reveal, they were able to explore the museum, where Cornwall’s literary connections are celebrated as part of the region’s rich history.

For example, the typewriter used by Graham to write his correspondence (not his novels – he wrote these longhand in notebooks) can be found in the Heart of Cornwall Gallery, where many treasures from Cornwall’s primary collections of historical artefacts are displayed.

Bryony Robins, Co-Director of the museum, commented:

“The buzz around the Winston Graham Historical Prize seems to grow year-on-year, fuelled by support from our many brilliant local independent bookshops as well as Waterstones here in Truro, which will host the Winston’s Wordsmiths young writers award next week. Our Winston Graham connection is a great opportunity to celebrate Cornwall as an inspiring setting for writers, but also the museum as a place where anyone can discover endless creative writing prompts as they explore our collections.

The Winston Graham Historical Prize is just one of the initiatives run by The Royal Institution of Cornwall, the charity which operates the museum. Find out more here.