The PEN/E. O. Wilson Literary Science Writing Award celebrates writing that exemplifies literary excellence on the subject of physical and biological sciences. The winner receives a cash award of $10,000 and will be honored at the PEN Literary Awards.

The PEN/E. O. Wilson Literary Science Writing Award was founded by scientist and author Dr. Edward O. Wilson, activist and actor Harrison Ford, and the E. O. Wilson Biodiversity Foundation. The inaugural award was conferred in 2011.

Examples of published works that exemplify the quality of writing the award is designed to acknowledge include Rachel Carlson’s Silent Spring (1962), Dr. James Watson’s The Double Helix (1969), Lewis Thompson’s The Lives of a Cell (1978), and Douglas Hofstadter’s Godel, Escher, Bach: An Eternal Golden Braid (1979).

Past winners: Siddhartha Mukherjee

Deadline:
Submissions must be received between October 1, 2011 and February 1, 2012.

Who is eligible:
Eligible titles must have been published between January 1, 2011 and December 31, 2011. Candidates must be permanent U.S. residents or American citizens. There are no restrictions on the candidate’s age.

Submissions are welcome from any source: writers, editors, literary agents, or members of the literary community at large. One need not be a Member of PEN to submit. Self-published books are not eligible.

How to apply:
1) Pay the $50 entry fee online and proceed to checkout. If paying by check, skip to step 2.

2) Fill out the online submission form and click “Submit Form.”

3) Mail three copies of the candidate’s book, your printed submission form, and proof of online payment or a check between October 1, 2011 and February 1, 2012 to:

PEN/E.O. Wilson Literary Science Writing Award
PEN American Center
588 Broadway, Suite 303
New York, NY 10012

Pay the $50 entry fee online, or mail in payment with your submission. Submission fees may be waived for publishers whose annual net sales are less than $4 million. Please contact PEN if you wish to find out more.

For more information, please contact awards@pen.org or (212) 334-1660, ext. 126.