2 April 2013
Shortlisted books announced for 2013 Science Book Prize
The three books shortlisted for the 2013 Royal Society of New Zealand Science Book Prize have been announced today (2
April) and the topics include New Zealand’s extinct moa, the science of Antarctica and a collection of poetry.
The three shortlisted titles for the 2013 Science Book Prize are:
•Graft by Helen Heath (Victoria University Press).
•Science on Ice: Discovering the Secrets of Antarctica by Veronika Meduna (Auckland University Press)
•Moa: The Life and Death of New Zealand’s Legendary Bird by Quinn Berentson (Craig Potton Publishing).
The judges were Professor Michael Corballis, The University of Auckland; Professor Shaun Hendy, Victoria University of
Wellington and Alison Ballance, Radio New Zealand.
On Graft, the judges said “Helen Heath seats poems that are explicitly about science and scientists alongside poems that explore
a more internal world of family, emotion and travel.
“In doing so she blurs boundaries and masterfully reminds us that science is not a separate and remote entity but is
part of the vital continuum of life, and that indeed science itself encompasses many aspects from the social to the
physical.”
On Science on Ice, the judges commented “Veronika Meduna skilfully weaves together a multitude of stories to present a comprehensively
readable account of the wide range of science that takes place in the Antarctic.
“The book explores what research has and is being done, what it's like to work in such a physically challenging
environment, and what insights it has given us about the frozen continent itself as well as how it has contributed to
our wider understanding of global processes and issues such as climate change.
“Together the text and photos present a compelling case for why both science and Antarctica matter.”
On Moa: The Life and Death of New Zealand’s Legendary Bird, the judges said “Quinn Berentson's book is a scholarly and entertaining insight into the history and natural history of
an extraordinary yet enigmatic extinct bird.
“It features larger than life historical personalities alongside the giant birds themselves, and provides great insights
into Victorian science.
“It’s a good-looking book that goes in search of a multitude of tiny bits of historical and contemporary information
about moa, and pulls them all into a revelatory and satisfying whole.”
The 2013 overall winner will be announced at the Auckland Writers and Readers Festival on Saturday 18 May 2013 following
the session ‘Bad Science, Bad Pharma’ by best-selling author and medical doctor from the UK, Ben Goldacre.
This will be the third time the Science Book Prize has been awarded. The winner of the inaugural Science Book Prize in
2009 was Rebecca Priestley for her book The Awa Book of New Zealand Science (Awa Press) and the winner of the prize in 2011 was Kakapo: Rescued from the Brink of Extinction (Craig Potton Publishing) by Alison Ballance.
The Royal Society of New Zealand, the national science academy, established the biennial prize for popular science books
in 2009 to celebrate the very best in this genre. It aims to encourage the writing, publishing and reading of good and
accessible popular science books. The prize is $5,000 for the winning author.
For more about the Science Book Prize: www.royalsociety.org.nz/programmes/competitions/science-book-prize/2013-information/
About the Royal Society of New Zealand
The Royal Society of New Zealand promotes science, technology and humanities in schools, in industry and in society. We
administer funds for research, publish peer-reviewed journals, offer advice to government, and foster international
scientific contact and co-operation. www.royalsociety.org.nz
ENDS