Western Australian Premier's Book Awards
1 appearances
-
Edition 0 (2020) Winner
Rebecca Giggs
レベッカ・ギッグス
Rebecca Giggs
Profile
- Gender
- Female
- Nationality
- Australia
- Languages
- English
- Residence History
- Perth, Western Australia → Sydney, New South Wales
Career
- Occupations
- nonfiction writer, essayist, science writer, researcher (honorary fellow)
- Affiliations
- Macquarie University (Honorary Fellow)
Education
| Institution | Faculty | Department | Degree | Period | Country |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The University of Western Australia | Law / Arts | Ecological literary studies | LLB, BA (Hons), PhD | — | Australia |
The University of Western Australia
Law / Arts
/ Ecological literary studies
Degree:
LLB, BA (Hons), PhD
Year of Graduation:
2014
Country:
Australia
Awarded a PhD in ecological literary studies in 2014. Also holds an LLB and BA (Hons).
Awards
| Year | Award | Work | Category | Organization | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | Nib Literary Award | Fathoms: The World in the Whale | — | Books+Publishing / Nib Literary Award | Won |
| 2021 | Andrew Carnegie Medal for Excellence in Nonfiction | Fathoms: The World in the Whale | Nonfiction | American Library Association (ALA) | Won |
| 2021 | Wainwright Prize | Fathoms: The World in the Whale | Global Conservation | Wainwright Prize committee | Shortlisted |
| 2020 | Kirkus Prize | Fathoms: The World in the Whale | Nonfiction | Kirkus Reviews | Finalist |
| 2021 | Western Australian Premier's Book Awards | Fathoms: The World in the Whale | Emerging Writer | Government of Western Australia | Won |
| 2021 | PEN/E. O. Wilson Literary Science Writing Award | Fathoms: The World in the Whale | — | PEN America | Shortlisted |
| 2021 | Stella Prize | Fathoms: The World in the Whale | — | The Stella Prize | Shortlisted |
| 2021 | Bragg UNSW Press Prize for Science Writing | "Soundings" (essay) | — | UNSW / Bragg Prize organizers | Shortlisted |
Nib Literary Award
2020
Work:
Fathoms: The World in the Whale
Organization:
Books+Publishing / Nib Literary Award
Result:
Won
Andrew Carnegie Medal for Excellence in Nonfiction
2021
Work:
Fathoms: The World in the Whale
Category:
Nonfiction
Organization:
American Library Association (ALA)
Result:
Won
Wainwright Prize
2021
Work:
Fathoms: The World in the Whale
Category:
Global Conservation
Organization:
Wainwright Prize committee
Result:
Shortlisted
Kirkus Prize
2020
Work:
Fathoms: The World in the Whale
Category:
Nonfiction
Organization:
Kirkus Reviews
Result:
Finalist
Western Australian Premier's Book Awards
2021
Work:
Fathoms: The World in the Whale
Category:
Emerging Writer
Organization:
Government of Western Australia
Result:
Won
PEN/E. O. Wilson Literary Science Writing Award
2021
Work:
Fathoms: The World in the Whale
Organization:
PEN America
Result:
Shortlisted
Stella Prize
2021
Work:
Fathoms: The World in the Whale
Organization:
The Stella Prize
Result:
Shortlisted
Bragg UNSW Press Prize for Science Writing
2021
Work:
"Soundings" (essay)
Organization:
UNSW / Bragg Prize organizers
Result:
Shortlisted
Awards & Nominations
Works
Major Works
Fathoms: The World in the Whale
2020 Nonfiction / Natural history 320 pagesFathoms examines whales and human history to explore marine ecosystems, human impacts, chemical pollution and the need for conservation. The book blends scientific reporting with literary prose to advocate for the preservation of marine mammals.
marine conservationhuman-whale relationshipsenvironmental pollutionecological literature
Translations
Bibliography
- Fathoms: The World in the Whale. 2020.
Style & Themes
- Literary Style
- lyric non-fiction combining scientific fact and literary essayresearch-driven, explanatory yet poetic prose
- Recurring Motifs
- whalesthe oceanhuman environmental impactbioaccumulation (chemical pollutants)
Legacy
Giggs is recognized for bridging ecological literature and science communication. Fathoms provoked literary attention to marine conservation and received international acclaim through multiple awards and nominations, marking it as a notable contemporary work of natural-history nonfiction.
Quotes
-
“a thoughtful, ambitiously crafted appeal for the preservation of marine mammals.”
Source: Kirkus Reviews (review) (2020)
Trivia
- Perth-based Australian writer.
- Received a PhD in ecological literary studies in 2014.
- Contributed science essays to outlets such as The Atlantic.
- First book Fathoms was published in 2020.