PEN/E. O. Wilson Literary Science Writing Award

The PEN/E.O. Wilson Literary Science Writing Award is awarded by the PEN American Center for writing that exemplifies literary excellence on the subject of physical and biological sciences.^[1] The award includes a cash prize of $10,000.^[2]

The award was founded by scientist and author Dr. Edward O. Wilson, activist and actor Harrison Ford, and the E. O. Wilson Biodiversity Foundation.^[2] The award was inaugurated in 2011.^[3]

Examples of published works that exemplify the quality of writing the award is designed to acknowledge include Rachel Carson's Silent Spring (1962) and James Watson's The Double Helix (1969), which contribute 'to the public’s understanding of scientific principles at work in the world today.'^[2]

The award is one of many PEN awards sponsored by International PEN affiliates in over 145 PEN centers around the world. The PEN American Center awards have been characterized as being among the "major" American literary prizes.^[4]

Award winners

• 2011^[5][6]

  • Winner: Siddhartha Mukherjee, The Emperor of All Maladies: A Biography of Cancer
  • Runner-up: David Abram, Becoming Animal

• 2012^[7][8]

  • Winner: James Gleick, The Information: A History, a Theory, a Flood
  • Runner-up: Donovan Hohn, Moby-Duck: The True Story of 28,800 Bath Toys Lost at Sea and of the Beachcombers, Oceanographers, Environmentalists, and Fools, Including the Author, Who Went in Search of Them^[9]

• 2013^[10][11]

  • Winner: Leonard Mlodinow, Subliminal: How Your Unconscious Mind Rules Your Behavior
  • Runner-up: David G. Haskell, The Forest Unseen

• 2014^[12][13]

  • Winner: Carl Hart, High Price: A Neuroscientist’s Journey of Self-Discovery That Challenges Everything You Know About Drugs and Society

• 2015^[14][15]

  • Winner: Joshua Horwitz, War of the Whales: A True Story

• 2016 ^[16]

  • Winner: Lauren Redniss, Thunder & Lightning: Weather Past, Present, Future

References

1. PEN American Center Literary Awards
2. Hank Campbell (October 15, 2010). ""Literary" $10,000 science writing award to be backed by Edward O. Wilson". Science2.0. Retrieved August 28, 2012.
3. "Harrison Ford in town to promote conservation". The San Francisco Examiner. October 15, 2010. Retrieved August 27, 2012.
4. Alfred Bendixen (2005). "Literary Prizes and Awards". The Continuum Encyclopedia of American Literature. Continuum International Publishing Group. p. 689.
5. "PEN American Center's 2011 award winners". LA Times. August 11, 2011. Retrieved August 27, 2012.
6. "2011 PEN/E. O. Wilson Literary Science Writing Award". pen.org. Retrieved August 1, 2014.
7. Julie Bosman (August 29, 2012). "PEN American Center Announces Literary Awards". New York Times. Retrieved October 24, 2012.
8. "2012 PEN/E. O. Wilson Literary Science Writing Award". pen.org. Retrieved August 1, 2014.
9. Laurie Hertzel (August 28, 2012). "PEN literary awards announced". StarTribune. Retrieved October 24, 2012.
10. Carolyn Kellogg (August 14, 2013). "Jacket Copy: PEN announces winners of its 2013 awards". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved August 14, 2013.
11. "2013 PEN/E. O. Wilson Literary Science Writing Award". pen.org. Retrieved August 1, 2014.
12. Ron Charles (July 30, 2014). "Winners of the 2014 PEN Literary Awards". Washington Post. Retrieved August 1, 2014.
13. "2014 PEN/E. O. Wilson Literary Science Writing Award". pen.org. Retrieved August 1, 2014.
14. Carolyn Kellogg (May 13, 2015). "PEN announces award-winners and shortlists". LA Times. Retrieved May 14, 2015.
15. "2015 PEN Literary Award Winners". pen.org. Retrieved May 14, 2015.
16. http://www.pen.org/literature/2016-pene-o-wilson-literary-science-writing-award

External links

• "PEN/E. O. Wilson Literary Science Writing Award". PEN American Center. Retrieved 2013-10-28.