Science Meets Storytelling: Three Authors Win Big

The National Book Foundation and the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation have announced the winners of their fifth annual Science + Literature awards.

Winning Books

1. Kimberly Blaeser - Ancient Light (Poetry)

   • Inspired by environmental damage faced by Indigenous communities.

2. Anna North - Bog Queen (Novel)

   • Follows a forensic anthropologist and a 2000-year-old Celtic druid.

3. Patricia Ononiwu Kaishian - Forest Euphoria: The Abounding Queerness of Nature (Nonfiction)

   • Explores the natural world and its queerness.

Judges' Praise

• Doron Weber (Sloan Foundation): > "These authors shed light on nature’s beauty and terror."

• Ruth Dickey (National Book Foundation): > "The awards highlight diverse voices in science writing."

About the Organizations

• National Book Foundation:

• Known for the prestigious National Book Awards.

• Sloan Foundation:
• Supports books that combine science and the humanities.
• Previously backed American Prometheus, which won a Pulitzer Prize and was adapted into the Oscar-winning film Oppenheimer.

Importance of the Awards

Daisy Hernández, this year’s chair of the awards committee, emphasized:

"In today’s world, where science is often under attack, it’s crucial to elevate books that merge literature and science."