The British Society for the History of Science (BSHS) has unveiled the shortlist for its coveted Hughes Prize.

Six exceptional books will now be read by judges before the winner is revealed later this year.

Those singled out include a publication which tells the geneticist who revolutionised our understanding of evolution; a personal memoire about deafness; and one of the first books to look at animal life in a colonial, urban society. The other three publications are a disturbing story of the persistent thread of ‘scientific’ racism; the early twentieth century’s love affair with radium; and a guide to the scientific and technological achievements of a medieval monk.

Professor Matthew Cobb, Chair of Judges, congratulated those who had been shortlisted for the BSHS Hughes Prize.

Cobb said: “We think this list covers a terrific range of topics, times and places, telling some eye-opening and surprising stories in fresh, new ways. We hope the public will enjoy exploring these books and the insights they provide.”

Professor Charlotte Sleigh, President of the BSHS added “Recent events have shown us how science and medicine are more important than ever to our shared lives. How lucky we are to have such a fine crop of historians, telling such compelling stories about how science gets made and affects us all.”

The BSHS Hughes Prize is awarded every two years to the best book in the history of science that is published in English and accessible to a general audience.

It rewards books that bring scholarship to new readers by capturing the public imagination while conforming to the rigorous standards of academic research.

The BSHS Hughes Prize is named in memory of the society’s much-loved late president Dr Jeff Hughes.

The previous winner of the BSHS Hughes Prize, James Delbourgo, was recognised for the book Collecting the World: Hans Sloane and the Origins of the British Museum, which explores the way modern science and collecting are intertwined with empire and slavery.

The winner will be announced in September and awarded a £300 prize.

Full Shortlist for the BSHS Hughes Prize

book cover - Imperial Creatures: Humans and Other Animals in Colonial Singapore, 1819–1942
book cover - Half Lives: The Unlikely History of Radium (Icon)
book cover - Hearing Happiness: Deafness Cures in History

Lucy Jane Santos
Half Lives: The Unlikely History of Radium

2020, ICON

Jaipreet Virdi
Hearing Happiness: Deafness Cures in History

2020, UCP

book cover - A Dominant Character: The Radical Science and Restless Politics of J.B.S. Haldane
book cover - The Light Ages