On memory of Thomas Ricklin, professor at the Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität (München) and scholar of medieval philosophical culture, since 2019 CETEFIL (Centro per l’edizione di testi medievali e rinascimentali) coordinates the awarding of a prize instituted at the behest of his wife, Sandra Plastina Ricklin, the scholar’s family, CETEFIL director Alessandra Beccarisi and the Centre’s scientific committee.
The initiative, sponsored by CETEFIL, aims to support the publication of a critical study or critical edition of a philosophical text in the field of medieval and Renaissance philosophy by young scholars.
Thomas Ricklin, born in Zurich in 1963 and died prematurely in 2016, was a scholar of medieval philosophical culture, with a particular focus on the poetry and philosophical works of Dante Alighieri. His translation with commentary of the Convivio is considered a major breakthrough in studies of Dante’s philosophy, and contributed to the reception in France and Germany of Dante’s philosophy. In addition, the scholar left studies on Aristotle’s Physics, the anonymous Book of Causes and dream theories (The Dream of Philosophy in the 12th Century).
How to participate in the Ricklin Prize
Selection: Submission of a monograph, critical study, edition of a text in the field of medieval and renaissance philosophy, accompanied by an abstract. The study may be written in the following languages: Italian, French, English, Spanish, German. Preference will be given to unpublished works.
Requirements for admission: The award is open to Italian and foreign scholars who have earned a Ph.D. no longer than ten years before the date of publication of this announcement.
Award and committee: The prize, in the amount of 3,000 euros made available by Thomas Ricklin’s wife and family, will be awarded by an undisputable decision of a panel composed of the following members:
- Professor Alessandra Beccarisi (Università di Foggia)
- Professor Sandra Plastina Ricklin (Università della Calabria)
- Professor Ruedi Imbach (Universität Fribourg)
- Professor Loris Sturlese (Accademia dei Lincei)
- Professor Johannes Bartuschat (Universität Zurich).
Applications: Interested individuals should submit their applications for participation in the award by by April 30 2025 to the following address: alessandra.beccarisi@unifg.it. The subject line should read “Premio Internazionale Thomas Ricklin – edizione.”
Applications must include the following information:
- personal details, including date and place of birth, residence and/or domicile address, telephone number, and email address;
- a photocopy of the candidate’s PhD certificate or an equivalent declaration;
- a photocopy of a valid identity document;
- an original critical edition of a currently unedited text in the field of medieval and Renaissance philosophical culture;
- an abstract.
Outcome of the selection and Award Presentation: The results of the selection process will be published on the Cetefil website at https://cetefil.wordpress.com/premio-ricklin/international-thomas-ricklin-prize/.
The scientific committee, composed of Loris Sturlese, Sandra Plastina, Johannes Bartuschat, and Ruedi Imbach, will review the submissions. The winner will be announced by September 1, 2025.
Award Ceremony
The award ceremony will take place in Zurich in October 2025. The winner will be invited to attend and present their work during the event. Further details regarding the ceremony will be communicated in September. subsequently
Publication of the selected edition: In the event that the applicant has not identified a publishing house for publication, the committee will indicate the publishing house where the text is to be published.
cetefil 