Elodie Harper wins prestigious Amedeo Maiuri International Archaeology Award

Bestselling author Elodie Harper has won the International Archaeology Prize Amedeo Maiuri, known as PIAAM, in recognition of her outstanding contribution to the public understanding of archaeology and ancient culture.

Harper’s Sunday Times Bestselling historical fiction trilogy includes The Wolf Den, The House with the Golden Door and The Temple of Fortuna. The series vividly reimagines the lives of women in ancient Pompeii, journeying from the city’s infamous brothel to the elite courts of Rome.

The award’s judging panel, chaired by Professor Umberto Pappalardo, honours individuals who have made significant and personal contributions to the field of archaeology—ranging from scholars and historians to creatives—particularly those who foster international collaboration and public engagement.

Established in 2016 to commemorate the legacy of Amedeo Maiuri, one of Italy’s most pioneering archaeologists, the award has previously recognised figures such as classicist Eva Cantarella and photographer Luigi Spina.

The award ceremony took place on the morning of December 12th at the Palazzo Comunale dei Conti De Fusco. Elodie received the characteristic "Trowel Trophy"- symbolic of the traditional archaeological tool and the careful excavation of history.

The organisers said: "The concise narrative pace, engaging dialogue, and artful use of archaeological sources—such as the inscriptions on Pompeii’s crumbling walls—bring the city’s urban prose and everyday life vividly to her readers. Can Elodie Harper be considered the true modern, human voice of ancient Pompeii? Certainly YES." 

Elodie Harper said: ‘I am truly honoured and grateful to be awarded the PIAAM. The work done at the archaeological park of Pompeii brilliantly illuminates the world of ordinary Romans, including the lives of women and the enslaved, whose voices have so often been overlooked both in their own time and subsequent eras. I wanted to reflect these extraordinary archaeological discoveries in my own fiction - it is what I am most passionate about as a writer - and so to have The Wolf Den recognised for this is an incredibly special moment.’ 

Elodie Harper’s latest novel, Boudicca’s Daughter, will publish in paperback in April 2026.