Bettina Reitz-Joosse awarded Year Prize for Research Communication from the Royal Flemish Academy

Bettina Reitz-Joosse, together with colleague Han Lamers (HU Berlin/KU Leuven), has been awarded the prestigeous "Jaarprijs Wetenschapscommunicatie" - Year prize for Research Communication - from the Royal Flemish Academy of Arts and Sciences in Belgium and the Young Academy of Belgium for their public communication about the Codex fori Mussolini (Bloomsbury - 2016).

In their book, Reitz-Joosse and Lamers describe and translate the Fascist Latin text Aurelio Amatucci's Codex for Mussolini, which was written on parchment and deposited under the obliesk at the Foro Italico in Rome in 1932. They argue that the Codex was intended for rediscovery in the distant future, when it would help shape the future reception of Italian Fascism.

Their publication made national and international news and was one of the top read articles upon release on BBC News.

The Distinction for Research Communication prize is awarded to scientists and scholars who have exhibited exceptional merit in science communication. Of Reitz-Joosse and Lamers, the Academy says "Han Lamers and Bettina Reitz-Joosse are recognized for their well-established and successful press and public communications campaign in Flanders and The Netherlands. Their efforts were very successful as shown by the international coverage they received." (translated from Dutch).

Reitz-Joosse and Lamers will be awarded their prize in a ceremony in Brussels on November 16th.

Watch a short video about their work here.