News Release

University of Chicago Press book wins Grantham Prize

Alanna Mitchell's "Seasick" recognized

Grant and Award Announcement

University of Chicago Press Journals

Chicago, Illinois—June 22, 2010—"Seasick: Ocean Change and the Extinction of Life on Earth" by Alanna Mitchell, published in the US by the University of Chicago Press, has won the 2010 Grantham Prize for Excellence in Environmental Reporting. Awarded by the Metcalf Institute for Marine and Environmental Reporting, the prize honors outstanding coverage of the environment and recognizes reporting that has the potential to bring about constructive change. "Seasick" is first the book to be named a Grantham Prize winner. Mitchell will receive $75,000.

"'Seasick' is an engaging work that clearly and eloquently explains the specific dangers facing global marine ecosystems," said Dr. Sunshine Menezes of the Metcalf Institute. "Reading Alanna Mitchell convinces you that the ocean is at least as important as the atmosphere when we worry about climate change," added Phillip Meyer, chairman of the Grantham Prize Jury. Editorial Director of the Sciences at the University of Chicago Press Christie Henry said, "Alanna Mitchell possesses exceptional empathy for and understanding of the natural world, inclusive of our role within in. We're thrilled that she's being recognized by this prestigious award. In the wake of the Gulf oil spill, the ocean and its health are at the forefront of everyone's minds. 'Seasick' could not be more timely."

The first book to look at the planetary environmental crisis through the lens of the global ocean, "Seasick" takes the reader on an emotional journey through a hidden realm of the planet and urges conservation and reverence for the fount from which all life on earth sprang. Alanna Mitchell spent fourteen years as a writer covering science and the environment at the Globe and Mail. She is also the author of "Dancing at the Dead Sea: Tracking the World's Environmental Hotspots," published by the University of Chicago Press.

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For more information about Alanna Mitchell, "Seasick," or the University of Chicago Press, please call (773)702-0376. The official website of the University of Chicago Press is www.press.uchicago.edu


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