As the subject of Keith Wailoo’s book is the marketing of menthol cigarettes to African Americans, I thought the news of his book being awarded the BSHS’s Hughes Prize – and particularly the forthcoming lecture – would be of interest to the BAAS community.

The Jury of the BSHS Hughes Prize described the book as follows: “Among an extraordinarily strong field of shortlisted books, Keith Wailoo’s revelatory Pushing Cool: Big Tobacco, Racial Marketing, and the Untold Story of the Menthol Cigarette stood out for its originality and timeliness. In telling the story of menthol cigarettes’ targeted marketing in African American communities, Wailoo draws on meticulous research to uncover the enmeshment of social sciences, racial exploitation, and corporate interests, with catastrophic consequences for public health in the United States. Lucidly written, with incisive commentary on present-day issues of racism, commerce, and public policy, the book speaks powerfully to experiences and audiences beyond the academic.”