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Penn Libraries Book Prize in Sustainability

This new annual award acknowledges outstanding contributions to the global discourse on environmental sustainability, with a specific focus on books that have a substantial impact on the public's understanding of these crucial issues.

Read about our 2024 winner
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Announcing the 2024 Winner

The University of Pennsylvania Libraries is pleased to announce that The Darkness Manifesto: On Light Pollution, Night Ecology, and the Ancient Rhythms that Sustain Life by Johan Eklöf (Scribner, 2024) has been named the inaugural winner of the Penn Libraries Book Prize in Sustainability. Learn more.

2024 Shortlist

The Great Displacement: Climate Change and the Next American Migration by Jake Bittle (Simon & Schuster)

The Darkness Manifesto: On Light Pollution, Night Ecology, and the Ancient Rhythms that Sustain Life by Johan Eklof (Scribner)

Humanity's Moment: A Climate Scientist's Case for Hope by Joëlle Gergis (Island Press)

Carbon Colonialism: How Rich Countries Export Climate Breakdown by Laurie Parsons (Manchester University Press)

Book cover of The Darkness Manifesto showing a twilight scene with a tree in silhouette and a large full moon in the sky.

Celebrate with Us!

Sep 26
  • Book Talk
Open to the Public

Penn Libraries Book Prize in Sustainability 2024 Reception and Ceremony

This new award recognizes outstanding contributions to the global discourse on environmental sustainability. A cocktail reception will precede the formal award ceremony, where Johan Eklöf will speak about his book The Darkness Manifesto.

  • September 26, 2024
  • 4:00pm - 6:00pm
  • Kislak Center Class of 1978 Orrery Pavilion, 6th Floor, Van Pelt-Dietrich Library Center
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About the Prize

The Penn Libraries Book Prize in Sustainability is more than an award; it is a call to action, encouraging authors and thinkers to contribute to the vital discourse on sustaining our planet for future generations.

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How to Apply

The application window has closed for the 2024 Penn Libraries Book Prize in Sustainability. Please check back later this year for information on submitting titles for the 2025 Book Prize.

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Jurors

Meet the jurors for the 2024 Book Prize in Sustainability.