Indian-origin historian Sunil Amrith wins British Academy Book Prize

The Burning Earth An Environmental History of the Last 500 Years by Indianorigin historian Sunil Amrith has been named the winner of this years British Academy Book Prize a prestigious 25000pound award that celebrates the worlds best works of nonfictionAmrith a Professor of History at Yale University in the US was born in Kenya to South Indian parents grew up in Singapore and graduated from the University of Cambridge in EnglandThe 46yearolds latest book described by judges as important reading in the context of the climate crisis received the coveted prize at a ceremony at the British Academy in London on Wednesday eveningIve sometimes been asked whether The Burning Earth is a bleak book said Amrith via live video link from the USTheres no doubt it details a great deal of harm and suffering both human and environmental and it shows that the two were almost always interlinked But in the end what Id like to read from the book is a sense that many parts brought us to this point of time So there were also many paths not taken ideas that have been forgotten movements that may have failed but have left a lasting legacy technologies that were humbler and more sustainableAnd perhaps we can find in returning to those paths not taken seeds of inspiration for a more hopeful and less violent way of living together on this planet which we share with each other and with so much other life that we depend on he saidThe announcement was made by the chair of the judges UKbased historian Professor Rebecca Earle who described the winning work as a magisterial account of the interconnections between human history and environmental transformationIt is vivid in detail and beautifully written important reading for anyone seeking to understand the origins of todays climate crisis said EarleAmrith is a remarkable scholar whose global perspective reveals the impact of the environment on human history as well as our impact on the environment In fact as he shows its not really possible to separate these twoIt is never an easy task to choose one winner from an exceptional shortlist of six but our panel agreed that The Burning Earth exemplified the spirit of the prize to deepen understanding of our world she saidThe British Academy the UKs national academy for the humanities and social sciences notes that Amriths iquestgroundbreaking work of global environmental historyiquest draws on decades of meticulous and eyeopening research to reveal how colonisation industrialisation and the shifting patterns of human settlement have not only shaped the modern world but also fuelled the climate crisis we are now faced withSpanning continents and centuries from the conquest of the Americas to British gold mining in South Africa from the Black Death to the Second World War Amrith takes the reader on an epic journey offering a new perspective on humanitys impact on the planetThis fresh look at the interplay of human history with the shape of the earth combines rigorous research with pageturning prose It is precisely the combination of evidenceinformed insight wellhoned ideas and great writing that we are proud to celebrate through our annual international book prize said Professor Susan J Smith President of the British AcademyThe other five shortlisted works which each receive 1000 pounds included The Golden Road How Ancient India Transformed the World by William Dalrymple The Baton and The Cross Russias Church from Pagans to Putin by Lucy Ash Africonomics A History of Western Ignorance by Bronwen Everill Sick of It The Global Fight for Womens Health by Sophie Harman and Sound Tracks A Musical Detective Story by Graeme LawsonThe British Academy Book Prize was established in 2013 to reward writing grounded in exceptional research in the fields of the humanities and social sciencesTo be eligible for the prize books must be works of nonfiction published in the UK with authors of any nationality based anywhere in the world and working in any language provided that the nominated work is available in the English languageThis story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed agencies Midday accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability trustworthiness reliability and data of the text Midday managementmiddaycom reserves the sole right to alter delete or remove without notice the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever