ARCS is pleased to announce that Elena Kostova's book, Medieval Melnik from the Late Twelfth to the Late Fourteenth Centuries: Historical Vicissitudes of a Small Balkan Town, Sofia: ARCS, 2013, was selected the winner of John D. Bell 2014 Memorial Book Prize by the Bulgarian Studies Association (see official letter below). The book was selected for publication as part of the 2011-2012 Gipson Dissertation Award competition, whereby an oustanding Bulgarian doctoral dissertation is translated into English for an international audience. The program is made possible with the generous support of the Tianaderrah Foundation (Nellie and Robert Gipson).