Adam Lichtenheld receives ISA Distinguished Book Award 2026
Researcher Adam Lichtenheld received the ISA Distinguished Book Award for the best book in the study of international politics of ethnicity, nationalism and migration. The prize was awarded by the International Studies Association.
In his book, Guilt by Location: Forced displacement and population sorting in civil wars, Lichtenheld shows that population displacement in contemporary conflicts is often a deliberate wartime strategy. Drawing on cases from multiple countries and datasets of 166 civil wars, it reveals how different placement strategies emerge across conflict types and highlights the implications for understanding and responding to forced migration.
The award committee describes his book as genuinely field shaping: ‘It shows, with impressive conceptual clarity and rigorous evidence, how armed actors use displacement not simply to expel communities but to sort populations and infer loyalties through “guilt by location.” Lichtenheld bridges conflict studies and forced migration research in a way that is both theoretically innovative and policy-relevant.’
Lichtenheld responds enthusiastically to receiving the award: ‘I am deeply honoured to receive the award, and I'm grateful to ISA and to the selection committee. It's meaningful to see the book’s central argument resonate, and I hope it helps advance ongoing academic and policy conversations about a growing challenge in global affairs.’
In 2025, the book was also selected for the Book of the Year by the Conflict Research Society.