The David R. Coffin Publication Grant
The David R. Coffin Publication Grant is awarded to an author or publisher of a book-in-progress on a landscape subject. There are no restrictions with regard to period, topic, or author's nationality. Only books based on original research and those that break new ground in method or interpretation will be considered. The purpose of this prize is to reward contributors to the intellectual vitality of garden history and landscape studies. The jury considers each application on the basis of its potential for expanding the field to new areas and for increasing knowledge within an existing branch of the discipline. It seeks to support authors with an ability to write for a general readership as well as for a scholarly audience.
2026 David R. Coffin Publication Grant Recipient
ADRIANA E. CUÉLLAR
Border Ecologies: Aquí/Allá
ORO Editions, forthcoming
In this book, Cuéllar and other contributing authors explore the potential of drawing as a generative approach to landscape research. As the culmination of two years of site-based research in the Cañada de los Sauces Norte, a canyon landscape at the U.S.–Mexico border, the book positions the Tijuana River Watershed as an analytical framework through which territorial transformation and border exchange are made legible. Where conventional representational approaches treat landscape as context or backdrop, this work demonstrates how landscape operates as a method of inquiry, tracing relationships between human settlement, ecological processes, and infrastructure across scales and jurisdictions in a way that resists conventional planning and design frameworks.
The $3500 Coffin grant awarded by CCL will enable publisher ORO Editions to support image preparation, high-quality reproduction, and professional indexing to improve the clarity and consistency of visual material, ensuring the book will function as a durable scholarly resource.
ELIGIBILITY + APPLICATION PROCESS
ELIGIBILITY
1. Both authors and publishers of books are eligible to apply. A book may be by one or more authors. Grants may also be made for translating books.
2. The authors or translators must have a signed contract with a publisher. Authors may apply for grants that will support research and travel necessary to complete a book. Publishers may only apply for a subvention related to the cost of enhanced production values and/or a lower purchase price.
3. Authors must submit a budget detailing the expenses they will incur in undertaking their work. Publishers must submit a pro forma budget demonstrating the necessity of a subvention solely for the purpose of increasing the number and quality of illustrations and overall production values. A request for a subvention will also be considered if it makes possible a book price below that which the estimated profit margin on the pro forma budget would allow.
APPLICATION PROCESS
Applications should include:
- A brief description of the nature and scope of the publication project and its importance to the field.
- A sample chapter and an introduction to the book
- A resume of the author(s) or translator
- A budget
- Two letters from qualified references who are knowledgeable in the area of the proposal and who have no connection to the project
Applications must be submitted by January 6, 2027 to LSIbookprize@virginia.edu, and include "Coffin Publication Grant Application" as the subject line.
Previous Grant Recipients
2021 - 2025 Grant Recipients
2011 - 2020 Grant Recipients
