The Royal Society Science Books Prize is an annual £25,000 prize awarded by the Royal Society to celebrate outstanding popular science books from around the world.[1] It is open to authors of science books written for a non-specialist audience, and since it was established in 1988 has championed writers such as Stephen Hawking, Jared Diamond, Stephen Jay Gould and Bill Bryson. In 2015 The Guardian described the prize as "the most prestigious science book prize in Britain".[2]
History
The Royal Society established the Science Books Prize in 1988 with the aim of encouraging the writing, publishing and reading of good and accessible popular science books. Its name has varied according to sponsorship agreements.
A panel of judges decides the shortlist and the winner of the Prize each year. The panel is chaired by a fellow of the Royal Society and includes authors, scientists and media personalities. The judges for the 2016 prize included author Bill Bryson, theoretical physicist Dr Clare Burrage, science fiction author Alastair Reynolds, ornithologist and science blogger GrrlScientist, and author and director of external affairs at the Science Museum Group, Roger Highfield.[3] In 2019, the jury consisted of Sir Nigel Shadbolt, Shukry James Habib, Dorothy Koomson, Stephen McGann, and Gwyneth Williams.[4]
All books entered for the prize must be published in English for the first time between September and October the preceding year. The winner is announced at an award ceremony and receives £25,000. Each of the other shortlisted authors receives £2,500.[1]
Shortlisted books
Before 2000
Royal Society Prizes for Science Books winners, 1988-2000[5]
The Exceptions: Nancy Hopkins, MIT, and the Fight for Women in Science
References
^ a bThe Royal Society Insight Investment Science Book Prize, Royal Society
^ a bSample, Ian (24 September 2015). "Top science book prize won by woman for first time". The Guardian. London. Retrieved 22 June 2016.
^ a bCarpenter, Caroline (17 June 2016). "Science Book Prize gets new sponsor". The Bookseller. London. Retrieved 22 June 2016.
^"Judging panel 2019". royalsociety.org. Retrieved 7 August 2019.
^ a b c d"Past Winners & Shortlisted Books - Science Book Prize". The Royal Society. Retrieved 3 December 2022.
^ a b cPauli, Michelle (13 April 2006). "Diamond in the running for Aventis hat-trick". the Guardian. Retrieved 3 December 2022.
^Ian, Sample (26 April 2007). "Tale of a sexless tortoise shortlisted for science book prize". the Guardian. Retrieved 3 December 2022.
^Alison, Flood (4 August 2016). "Bill Bryson hails 'thrilling' Royal Society science book prize shortlist". the Guardian. Retrieved 3 December 2022.
^Ian, Sample; Randerson, James (17 May 2006). "Science book winner donates prize to David Kelly's family". the Guardian. Retrieved 3 December 2022.
^Alok, Jha (15 May 2007). "Search for happiness scoops science prize". the Guardian. Retrieved 3 December 2022.
^Lindesay, Irvine (17 June 2008). "Lynas's Six Degrees wins Royal Society award". the Guardian. Retrieved 3 December 2022.
^ a b c d e f"Prize for wonder of science past". BBC. 15 September 2009. Retrieved 22 June 2016.
^ a b c d eTim, Radford (8 September 2009). "Royal Society Science Book Prize: The shortlist". the Guardian. Retrieved 3 December 2022.
^"Royal Society's science book prize will be the last". BBC. 21 October 2010. Retrieved 22 June 2016.
^Ian, Sample (21 October 2010). "Nick Lane wins Royal Society science book prize for Life Ascending". the Guardian. Retrieved 3 December 2022.
^Tim, Radford (13 October 2010). "We Need to Talk about Kelvin by Marcus Chown – review". the Guardian. Retrieved 3 December 2022.
^Alok, Jha (18 October 2010). "Why Does E=mc2? by Brian Cox and Jeff Forshaw – review". the Guardian. Retrieved 3 December 2022.
^Tim, Radford (14 October 2010). "Everyday Practice of Science by Frederick Grinnell – review". the Guardian. Retrieved 3 December 2022.
^Tim, Radford (15 October 2010). "God's Philosophers by James Hannam – review". the Guardian. Retrieved 3 December 2022.
^Ian, Sample (20 October 2010). "A World Without Ice by Henry Pollack – review". the Guardian. Retrieved 3 December 2022.
^Connor, Steve (18 November 2011). "Expert in idleness is surprise winner of science book prize". The Independent. Retrieved 22 June 2016.
^Alok, Jha (9 November 2011). "Alex's Adventures in Numberland by Alex Bellos – review | Royal Society science book prize". the Guardian. Retrieved 3 December 2022.
^Tim, Radford (8 November 2011). "Through the Language Glass by Guy Deutscher – review | Royal Society science book prize". the Guardian. Retrieved 3 December 2022.
^Jon, Butterworth (7 November 2011). "Massive: The Hunt for the God Particle by Ian Sample – review | Royal Society science book prize". the Guardian. Retrieved 3 December 2022.
^James, Kingsland (11 November 2011). "The Rough Guide to the Future by Jon Turney – review | Royal Society science book prize". the Guardian. Retrieved 3 December 2022.
^Radford, Tim (27 November 2012). "Royal Society Winton prize for science goes to James Gleick". The Guardian. London. Retrieved 22 June 2016.
^Tim, Radford (27 November 2012). "Royal Society Winton prize for science goes to James Gleick". the Guardian. Retrieved 3 December 2022.
^Tim, Radford (21 November 2012). "Moonwalking with Einstein by Joshua Foer – review | Tim Radford". the Guardian. Retrieved 3 December 2022.
^Tim, Radford (24 November 2012). "My Beautiful Genome: exposing our genetic future, one quirk at a time – review". the Guardian. Retrieved 3 December 2022.
^Ian, Sample (20 November 2012). "The Hidden Reality by Brian Greene – book review | Ian Sample". the Guardian. Retrieved 3 December 2022.
^James, Kingsland (23 November 2012). "The Viral Storm by Nathan Wolfe – book review | James Kingsland". the Guardian. Retrieved 3 December 2022.
^Bury, Liz (26 November 2013). "Royal Society Winton Prize goes to 'rock star' science book". The Guardian. London. Retrieved 22 June 2016.
^Liz, Bury (26 November 2013). "Royal Society Winton Prize goes to 'rock star' science book". the Guardian. Retrieved 3 December 2022.
^Tim, Radford (21 November 2013). "Bird Sense: What it's Like to be a Bird, by Tim Birkhead – review". the Guardian. Retrieved 3 December 2022.
^ a b c d e"Royal Society Winton prize for science books: the shortlist - in pictures". The Guardian. 26 September 2013. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 3 December 2022.
^James, Kingsland (19 November 2013). "Cells to Civilizations, by Enrico Coen – review". the Guardian. Retrieved 3 December 2022.
^Alok, Jha (23 November 2013). "The Book of Barely Imagined Beings, by Caspar Henderson – review". the Guardian. Retrieved 3 December 2022.
^Tim, Radford (18 November 2013). "Ocean of Life: How our Seas are Changing, by Callum Roberts – review". the Guardian. Retrieved 3 December 2022.
^"Materials book wins Royal Society Winton Prize". BBC. London. 10 November 2014. Retrieved 22 June 2016.
^Tim, Radford (3 November 2014). "Royal Society books shortlist: Serving the Reich by Philip Ball – review". the Guardian. Retrieved 3 December 2022.
^ a b c d eGrrlScientist (19 September 2014). "Royal Society 2014 Winton Prize for Science Books shortlist announced". the Guardian. Retrieved 3 December 2022.
^Ian, Sample (10 November 2014). "Royal Society books shortlist: Seven Elements That Have Changed the World by John Browne – review". the Guardian. Retrieved 3 December 2022.
^Tim, Radford (5 November 2014). "Royal Society books shortlist: The Perfect Theory by Pedro G Ferreira – review". the Guardian. Retrieved 3 December 2022.
^Nicola, Davis (6 November 2014). "Royal Society books shortlist: Gulp by Mary Roach – review". the Guardian. Retrieved 3 December 2022.
^Tim, Radford (23 September 2015). "Adventures in the Anthropocene by Gaia Vince – review". The Guardian. Retrieved 3 December 2022.
^Tim, Radford (5 August 2015). "Royal Society Winton prize 2015 shortlist announced". the Guardian. Retrieved 3 December 2022.
^"The Royal Society announces Andrea Wulf as the winner of the Royal Society Insight Investment Science Book Prize 2016". The Royal Society. 19 September 2016. Retrieved 22 September 2016.
^Allison, Flood (19 September 2016). "Alexander von Humboldt biography wins Royal Society science book prize". The Guardian. Retrieved 3 December 2022.
^"Shortlist for The Royal Society Insight Investment Science Book Prize 2016 unveiled". royalsociety.org. Retrieved 22 September 2016.
^Armitstead, Claire (19 September 2017). "Testosterone Rex triumphs as Royal Society science book of the year". the Guardian. Retrieved 3 December 2022.
^"Shortlist for The Royal Society Insight Investment Science Book Prize 2017 explores life's big questions". The Royal Society. Retrieved 3 September 2017.
^"Royal Society Insight Investment Science Book Prize". royalsociety.org. Retrieved 19 September 2017.
^Cain, Sian (1 October 2018). "Myth-busting study of teenage brains wins Royal Society prize". the Guardian. Retrieved 3 December 2022.
^"Shortlist for The Royal Society Insight Investment Science Book Prize 2018 revealed". The Royal Society. 2 August 2018. Retrieved 5 August 2017.
^Cain, Sian (1 October 2018). "Myth-busting study of teenage brains wins Royal Society prize". The Guardian. Retrieved 2 October 2018.
^"Royal Society Insight Investment Science Book Prize 2019". The Royal Society. Retrieved 27 August 2019.
^Flood, Alison (23 September 2019). "'Brilliant exposé' of gender data gap wins Royal Society science book prize". The Guardian. Retrieved 3 December 2022.
^"Book on gender data gap wins Royal Society Science Book Prize 2019 - Times of India". The Times of India. Retrieved 3 December 2022.
^Flood, Alison (23 September 2019). "'Brilliant exposé' of gender data gap wins Royal Society science book prize". The Guardian. Retrieved 23 September 2019.
^Flood, Alison (3 November 2020). "Neurodivergent author Camilla Pang's Explaining Humans wins Royal Society prize". The Guardian. Retrieved 3 December 2022.
^"2020 Royal Society Insight Investment Science Book Prize". The Royal Society. 3 November 2020. Retrieved 5 November 2020.
^"Winner of The Royal Society Science Book Prize revealed". The Irish News. 3 November 2020. Retrieved 3 December 2022.
^"Royal Society Insight Investment Science Book Prize 2020". royalsociety.org. Retrieved 24 September 2020.
^Bayley, Sian (29 November 2021). "Sheldrake wins Royal Society Science Book Prize with 'illuminating' fungi book". The Bookseller. Archived from the original on 30 November 2021. Retrieved 30 November 2021.
^"Sheldrake wins 2021 Royal Society Science Book Prize | Books+Publishing". Retrieved 3 December 2022.
^"'A (Very) Short History of Life on Earth' wins Royal Society Science Book Prize". Books+Publishing. 30 November 2022. Retrieved 1 December 2022.
^Schaub, Michael (30 November 2022). "Henry Gee Wins Royal Society Science Book Prize". Kirkus Reviews. Retrieved 9 December 2022.
^Anderson, Porter (27 September 2022). "Royal Society Science Book Prize Names Its 2022 Shortlist". Publishing Perspectives. Retrieved 3 December 2022.
^"Shortlist for 2022 Royal Society Science Book Prize announced". Royal Society. 27 September 2022. Retrieved 2 November 2022.
^Schaub, Michael (26 November 2023). "Winner of Science Book Prize Is Revealed". Kirkus Reviews. Retrieved 26 November 2023.
^Schaub, Michael (29 September 2023). "Royal Society Science Book Prize Reveals Finalists". Kirkus Reviews. Retrieved 30 September 2023.
External links
The Royal Society Trivedi Science Book Prize
Royal Society Prize at lovethebook Archived 21 August 2018 at the Wayback Machine