The National Book Foundation’s newest initiative will celebrate books about science and technology.
Today, the National Book Foundation announced a new initiative: the Science + Literature program, which is supported by a $525,000 grant from the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, already known for their support of books that increase public understanding of science and technology. The new program will select three books per year, beginning in Winter/Spring 2022, and will choose its honorees “with a focus on work that celebrates, highlights, and contributes to the diversity of voices in scientific writing,” according to the Foundation’s press release. “The selected literature will act as a catalyst to create discourse, understanding, and engagement with science for communities across the country,” it continues. The winning authors will each receive $10,000.
“Great books can open doors to better understanding around complex issues,” said Ruth Dickey, Executive Director of the National Book Foundation, in the same statement. “We’ve learned so much from our partners and readers across the country and look forward to engaging these communities—and new ones!—around science and technology, with the same diverse, critical lens we apply to all of our efforts.”
“The Science + Literature program continues to leverage the Foundation’s unique position as a literary tastemaker and cultural commentator to help spark vital conversations with communities nationally,” said David Steinberger, Chair of the National Book Foundation’s Board of Directors. “We are grateful to the Sloan Foundation to allow us to deepen our engagement with science and technology writers who help inform our relationship to the world around us.”
