Sunil Amrith Wins British Academy Book Prize for The Burning Earth

Indian-Origin Historian Honoured

Sunil Amrith Wins British Academy Book Prize for The Burning Earth: Renowned Indian-origin historian Sunil Amrith has been awarded the 2025 British Academy Book Prize for his groundbreaking book The Burning Earth: An Environmental History of the Last 500 Years. The prestigious award, valued at £25,000, celebrates exceptional non-fiction works that deepen understanding of global history, culture, and society.

Amrith’s book stood out for its ability to connect environmental history with the broader human experience. It examines how human actions over five centuries have reshaped nature and society, offering a profound lens on the origins of today’s climate challenges.

Static GK fact: The British Academy Book Prize was established in 2013 to promote excellence in humanities and social sciences writing in English.

About Sunil Amrith

Sunil Amrith is a professor of history at Yale University. Born in Kenya to South Indian parents and raised in Singapore, he pursued his higher education at the University of Cambridge. His multicultural upbringing has shaped his research on migration, colonialism, and environmental change.

Over the years, Amrith has earned global recognition for blending academic precision with engaging storytelling, helping readers grasp how past environmental transformations influence present crises.

Static GK Tip: Yale University, founded in 1701, is one of the oldest Ivy League universities in the United States.

The Burning Earth and Its Message

The Burning Earth explores 500 years of environmental and human history, tracing how colonisation, industrialisation, and economic expansion transformed the planet’s ecosystems. The book highlights that the environmental crisis is not recent but a long-term consequence of centuries of exploitation and imbalance.

Judges described the work as “magisterial” and “beautifully written,” noting that it provides essential context for understanding modern climate concerns. Amrith himself described the book as an effort to recover forgotten sustainable practices and indigenous ecological wisdom.

Why the Book Stands Out

The British Academy praised Amrith’s global approach, combining research from Asia, Africa, Europe, and the Americas. The book spans diverse themes:

• Colonial conquests and environmental change in the Americas
• Industrial growth and pollution in Europe
• Mining and deforestation under British rule in Africa
• The ecological aftermath of World War II

These examples show how the patterns of exploitation that began centuries ago continue to shape our climate crisis today.

Static GK fact: The first Industrial Revolution, starting in 18th-century Britain, marked a turning point in environmental degradation due to coal-based industries.

Other Shortlisted Authors

Alongside Amrith, five authors were shortlisted for the 2025 British Academy Book Prize, each receiving £1,000. Their works include:

• The Golden Road by William Dalrymple
• The Baton and the Cross by Lucy Ash
• Africonomics by Bronwen Everill
• Sick of It by Sophie Harman
• Sound Tracks by Graeme Lawson

These selections reflect the award’s focus on diverse voices and global perspectives in historical writing.

Significance of the British Academy Book Prize

The British Academy Book Prize honours non-fiction books that make academic research accessible to the public. Authors of any nationality can apply, as long as the book is published in English in the UK. The prize promotes cultural exchange and helps readers appreciate global ideas shaping today’s world.

Static GK Tip: The British Academy, founded in 1902, serves as the UK’s national body for humanities and social sciences.

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Sunil Amrith Wins British Academy Book Prize for The Burning Earth: