Wellcome Book Prize

Wellcome Book Prize
Awarded fortopics of health and medicine in literature
Sponsored byWellcome Trust
LocationUnited Kingdom
First awarded2009
WebsiteWellcome Book Prize

Wellcome Book Prize (2009–2019 — paused) is an annual British literary award sponsored by Wellcome Trust. In keeping with the vision and goals of Wellcome Trust, the Book Prize "celebrates the topics of health and medicine in literature",[1] including fiction and non-fiction.[2] The winner receives £30,000 making it "one of the most remunerative literature awards on offer."[3]

The current prize for medicine in literature was inaugurated in 2009, but there was an older award with the same name. In 1998, Wellcome Trust began offering a prize that would enable a practicing life scientist to take time off and write a science book for the general reader.[4] Applicants would submit a book outline and sample chapter, winners would then be obligated to write and publish the book. It appears the only winner was Michael J. Morgan for The Space Between Our Ears: How the Brain Represents Visual Space (2001), before the prize (for science writing) was discontinued.

From 2009 to 2012 it was called the Wellcome Trust Book Prize. In 2013 there was no award however there were changes to the prize including an increase in prize money from £25,000 to £30,000.[5] The timetable of key dates is longlist in February, shortlist in March and winner in May.[6]

In 2019, the prize announced that it had "decided to take a pause and reflect".[7]

  1. ^ About the Wellcome Trust Book Prize
  2. ^ "Prize for medicine in literature." The Times (United Kingdom) [serial online]. October 11, 2012. Available from: Newspaper Source Plus, Ipswich, MA. Item: 7EH1489323595. Accessed September 30, 2012.
  3. ^ "New medicine book prize." The Bookseller (17 October 2008), Pg. 6 (1)). Gale Document Number: GALE|A188642463
  4. ^ Frances M. Ashcroft. Life at the Extremes: The Science of Survival. See Acknowledgments, pg.xv
  5. ^ "2013: No prize awarded". Wellcome Book Prize. 2013. Retrieved 2 December 2013.
  6. ^ "The Wellcome Book Prize longlist 2019". www.readings.com.au. Retrieved 6 February 2019.
  7. ^ "Wellcome Book Prize will be taking a pause". wellcomebookprize.org. 21 May 2019. Archived from the original on 25 May 2019. Retrieved 25 May 2019.