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Wade Davis

ウェイド・デイビス

Edmund Wade Davis

Profile

Gender
Male
Born
1953-12-14 （West Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada）
Nationality
Canada, United States, Colombia
Languages
English
Residence History
Washington, D.C. → Vancouver, Canada → Stikine Valley, British Columbia → Bowen Island, Canada

Career

Occupations
Cultural anthropologist, Ethnobotanist, Photographer, Writer, Professor
Active Years
1974-
Affiliations
University of British Columbia, National Geographic Society (Explorer-in-Residence 2000–2013), International League of Conservation Photographers (iLCP), Royal Geographical Society (Fellow)
Memberships
Linnean Society (Fellow), The Explorers Club (Fellow/Member), Royal Geographical Society (Fellow), Royal Canadian Geographical Society (Fellow)
Nominations
Governor General's Literary Award (1997, Non‑fiction) — One River, Boardman Tasker Prize (2012, shortlist) — Into the Silence, Governor General's Literary Award (2012, shortlist) — Into the Silence

Education

Harvard University
Ethnobotany / Anthropology & Biology
Degree: Ph.D.（民族植物学）
Country: United States
Holds degrees in anthropology, biology and a Ph.D. in ethnobotany

Awards

Lowell Thomas Medal
2002
Organization: The Explorers Club
Result: 受賞
Lannan Foundation Prize for Literary Nonfiction
2002
Organization: Lannan Foundation
Result: 受賞（$125,000）
Gold Medal of the Royal Canadian Geographical Society
2009
Organization: Royal Canadian Geographical Society
Result: 受賞
David Fairchild Medal for Plant Exploration
2012
Organization: National Tropical Botanical Garden
Result: 受賞
Samuel Johnson Prize (Baillie Gifford Prize)
2012
Work: Into the Silence: The Great War, Mallory and the Conquest of Everest
Category: ノンフィクション
Organization: Samuel Johnson Prize / Baillie Gifford Prize
Result: 受賞
Governor General's Literary Award (shortlist)
1997
Work: One River
Organization: Governor General's Literary Awards
Result: ショートリスト
Governor General's Literary Award (shortlist)
2012
Work: Into the Silence
Organization: Governor General's Literary Awards
Result: ショートリスト
Boardman Tasker Prize for Mountain Literature (shortlist)
2012
Work: Into the Silence
Organization: Boardman Tasker Prize for Mountain Literature
Result: ショートリスト
Order of Canada (Member)
2015
Organization: Office of the Governor General of Canada
Result: 受章
Roy Chapman Andrews Society Distinguished Explorer Award
2017
Organization: Roy Chapman Andrews Society
Result: 受賞
Sir Christopher Ondaatje Medal for Exploration
2017
Organization: Royal Canadian Geographical Society
Result: 受賞

Awards & Nominations

Works

Major Works

The Serpent and the Rainbow

1985 Non-fiction (ethnography / exploration)

An investigative account of Haitian 'zombies', exploring ethnopharmacology, folklore and ritual.

folk beliefethnopharmacologyculture and death
Adaptations
  • [Film] The Serpent and the Rainbow (film) / Wes Craven (1988)
Translations
  • Translated into multiple languages (14 languages reported)

Passage of Darkness: The Ethnobiology of the Haitian Zombie

1988 Scholarly non-fiction / ethnobiology

Ethnobiological study of Haitian zombie phenomena based on field research.

ethnobotanyritual uses of plantsethics and scientific critique

One River

1996 Travel / Natural history

Accounts of Amazon exploration, indigenous peoples and botanical discoveries.

explorationindigenous knowledgerainforest conservation

Into the Silence: The Great War, Mallory and the Conquest of Everest

2011 Historical non-fiction / mountaineering history

Interweaves the 1922–1924 Everest expeditions and the life of George Mallory against the backdrop of World War I.

mountaineering historywar and cultural impactbiographical study

The Wayfinders: Why Ancient Wisdom Matters in the Modern World

2009 Cultural commentary / ethnology

Essays arguing for the relevance of traditional knowledge and indigenous wisdom in the modern world.

traditional knowledgecultural preservationenvironmental ethics

Bibliography

  • The Serpent and the Rainbow, among many others
  • Passage of Darkness (1988)
  • One River (1996)
  • Shadows in the Sun / The Clouded Leopard (1998)
  • Light at the Edge of the World (2001)
  • Into the Silence (2011)
  • Magdalena: River of Dreams (2020)
  • Beneath the Surface of Things (2024)

Adaptations

  • Film adaptation loosely based on The Serpent and the Rainbow (1988)

Translations of Works

  • Works translated into 14 languages

Style & Themes

Literary Style
lyrical, fieldwork-based nonfictionvisual-narrative combining photography and prose
Recurring Motifs
documenting vanishing cultureshuman-nature relationshipsthemes of exploration and adventure

Legacy

Davis has documented vanishing cultures and advocated for conservation and the value of traditional knowledge through ethnobotany and cultural anthropology. His work spans academic research, popular nonfiction, photography and film, influencing both scholarly and public audiences.

Museums

  • National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution (exhibition collaborator) Washington, D.C., United States
  • International Center of Photography (exhibitions) New York, United States

Academic Societies

  • Linnean Society
  • Royal Geographical Society
  • Royal Canadian Geographical Society
  • The Explorers Club

In Popular Culture

  • Davis's research on Haitian zombies was referenced in an episode of The X-Files ("Fresh Bones").
  • Featured in National Geographic and various documentary programs.

Trivia

  • In 1974, at age 20, he crossed the Darién Gap on foot.
  • He was granted Colombian citizenship in 2018.
  • His books have been translated into approximately 14 languages.
  • The Serpent and the Rainbow attracted wide public attention and served as the basis for a film.