Lincoln Lecturer wins Book Prize

Dr. Owen Clayton’s book ‘Vagabonds, Tramps, and Hobos: The Literature and Culture of U.S. Transiency 1890–1940’ (Cambridge University Press, 2023) has won the 2024 BAAS (British Association for American Studies) book prize. The BAAS Prize committee wrote:

‘This excellent book explores the roots of the idea of “the Hobo” in American society and literature and offers a compelling argument for the uniquely “Americanness” of the idea. By focusing on the period before some of the better-known figures/works (Kerouac, Thelma and Louise, etc) it puts them in a larger conversation around questions of labour, migration (or movement more generally), and identity.

Tracing the evolution of the idea and highlighting distinctions between “vagrants,” “tramps,” and “hobos,” the book offers a nuanced framework for exploring the continued evolution of these ideas in later works. The range of sources and perspectives (memoirs, cartoons, newspapers, music, literature, academia) add richness and depth, showcasing the strengths of American Studies as a discipline.”

Story submitted by Owen Clayton
oclayton@lincoln.ac.uk