Professor Margaret Hillenbrand receives MLA Scaglione Prize for East Asian Studies

On December 10, The Modern Language Association of America announced the award of its second annual Aldo and Jeanne Scaglione Prize for East Asian Studies to Wadham Fellow, Prof Margaret Hillenbrand. The prize is awarded annually for an outstanding scholarly work in East Asian or East Asian diaspora literary or linguistic studies. This year, Prof Hillenbrand received the award for her book, 'On the Edge: Feeling Precarious in China'.

Published in October 2023, the book argues that a vast underclass of Chinese workers exist in “zombie citizenship", a state of dehumanizing exile from the law and its safeguards.

The selection committee for the Scaglione award describes the book as offering "penetrating portraits of cultural producers from the far margins of a booming China," concluding that "Hillenbrand’s brilliant study is compellingly argued, combining theoretical sophistication with penetrating clarity, and draws attention to China’s creative precariat with great sensitivity and sympathy."

The Modern Language Association of America works to strengthen the study and teaching of languages and literature. The Scaglione Prize for East Asian Studies is one of twenty-three publication awards that will be presented on 10 January 2025, during the association’s annual convention, to be held in New Orleans.

Congratulations to Prof Hillenbrand for being selected as the prize-winner!