Science Meets Storytelling: Three Authors Win Big

Three writers have been given $10, 000 each for their unique ability to mix science and literature. The National Book Foundation and the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation just announced the winners of their fifth annual Science + Literature awards. The winning books are quite different from each other. Kimberly Blaeser’s poetry collection, “Ancient Light, ” draws inspiration from the environmental damage faced by Indigenous communities. Anna North’s novel, “Bog Queen, ” follows a forensic anthropologist and a 2000-year-old Celtic druid. Patricia Ononiwu Kaishian’s nonfiction work, “Forest Euphoria: The Abounding Queerness of Nature, ” explores the natural world.The judges praised the winners for their ability to blend science and poetry. Doron Weber, vice president and program director at the Sloan Foundation, said these authors shed light on nature’s beauty and terror. Ruth Dickey, executive director of the National Book Foundation, noted that the awards highlight diverse voices in science writing. The National Book Foundation is known for the prestigious National Book Awards. The Sloan Foundation has a history of supporting books that combine science and the humanities. For example, they backed “American Prometheus, ” which won a Pulitzer Prize and was adapted into the Oscar-winning film “Oppenheimer. ” Daisy Hernández, this year’s chair of the awards committee, emphasized the importance of these books. She said that in today’s world, where science is often under attack, it’s crucial to elevate books that merge literature and science.