Congratulations to the BPS Book Award 2024 winners

The BPS Book Award recognises exceptional published writing in the field of psychology. Due to the exceptionally high standard of entries, this year, there were two winners in the Popular Science category, an award that recognises published work that makes psychology accessible and engaging for a general reader.  

One of the joint winners in the Popular Science category is Unlocked: The real science of screen time (and how to spend it better) by Pete Etchells, a vital and eye-opening book that explores how our use of screens affects our health and relationships. In an age when everyone is encouraged to drastically cut down on their screen time, Unlocked offers a nuanced and realistic guide to healthy screen usage.

The other joint winner in the Popular Science category is The Immune Mind: the new science of health by Monty Lyman. In this book, the intrinsic link between a healthy body and a healthy mind is explored and suggestions made for new ways to treat disease and view our health.

The winner of the Text Book category is A Student's Guide to Open Science: using the replication crisis to reform psychology by Dr Charlotte R Pennington. A lecturer at Aston University, Dr Pennington's book on the open science movement received rave reviews from fellow academics and The Psychologist when it was published earlier this year.

Finally, the winner of the Academic Monograph category is What Makes Us Social? by Chris and Uta Frith. Their book looks at the cognitive processes that make humans the most social creatures on the planet. It touches on themes of empathy, trust and co-operation without ignoring the dark side, as manifest in social prejudice and mentalising mind games. 

Richard Stephens, Deputy Chair of the BPS Research Board, said:

"I want to congratulate this year's winners on their exceptional books. Writing and publishing a book is no easy feat and our awards recognise and celebrate the winning authors' achievements. 

"From academic texts for budding psychologists to books aimed at making psychological concepts accessible for the general public, this year's winners showcase the variety and depth that exists in psychology publishing."