Entries called for 2015 Science Book Prize

News release from the Royal Society of New Zealand

For immediate release

19 December 2014

Entries called for 2015 Royal Society of New Zealand Science Book Prize

Publishers and authors are now invited to submit their entries for the Royal Society of New Zealand 2015 Science Book Prize.

The award is biennial and seeks to promote the writing of and readership for popular science books in New Zealand. It is open to all books that communicate scientific concepts for a general audience that were published during 2013 and 2014.

“We’re looking for books which present science in an interesting and readable way, so as well as popular non-fiction, we’re also looking for fiction, drama and poetry,” says Dr Andrew Cleland, Chief Executive of the Royal Society of New Zealand.

First presented in 2009, previous recipients of the prize are ‘The Awa Book of New Zealand Science’ by Rebecca Priestley (Awa Press), ‘Kakapo: Beyond the brink of extinction’ by Alison Balance (Craig Potton Publishing), and ‘Moa: The life and death of New Zealand’s legendary bird’ by Quinn Berentson (Craig Potton Publishing).

A poetry collection was a finalist in the 2013 award, ‘Graft’ by Helen Heath (Victoria University Press).

“That book had very strong science content. We’d love to see more diversity in the way science is presented in book format in New Zealand,” says Dr Cleland.

The prize is independently managed and funded by the Royal Society of New Zealand. The author of the winning title will be announced at the Auckland Writers Festival in May 2015 and will receive a cash prize of NZ$5,000.

Entry details are on the Royal Society of New Zealand website at http://www.royalsociety.org.nz/sciencebookprize

Submissions close on 2 February 2015.

ENDS

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