The Society of American Historians Prize for Historical Fiction, formerly known as the James Fenimore Cooper Prize, is a biennial award given for the best Historical American fiction by the Society of American Historians.
It is awarded in the odd-numbered years.
[1] The prize has been awarded since 1993.
It is given to honor a work of literary fiction that "makes a significant contribution to historical understanding, portrays authentically the people and events of the historical past, and displays skills in narrative construction and prose style" and that concerns American history.
[2][3] The prize, which until 2018 was named for nineteenth-century American historical novelist James Fenimore Cooper, carries a cash award of US$2,000.