Literary Awards as Humanities Data: Measuring Prestige in the Digital Age – an Interview with James English

Abstract The utilisation of literary prizes within the domain of Digital Humanities signifies the emergence of a novel metric for evaluating prestige. In this interview, Xiaohe Rui and James English discussed the development of the field, as well as the challenges in bridging the disciplines, ethics and accessibility of prize data used in Digital Humanities. English introduced his research team’s work on literary data, using tools such as Python, Tableau, Gephi and t-SNE to generate insights and foster a dynamic, peer-driven learning environment that may offer greater pedagogical value than traditional English classes. He also emphasized that in order to comprehend literary prestige in the present age, it is necessary to examine the manner in which cultural value is disseminated across a variety of media platforms. This interdisciplinary, data-driven approach, English suggested, will persist as a vital and engaging niche within the domain of literary studies.