A hunt for dark matter won over the students, and the hidden life of plants won over the experts.
The fourth Dutch Cosmos Boekenprijs was awarded on 17 October at Parnassos in Utrecht, with two prizes of €1,500 each.
The scholierenjury, made up of secondary school students, chose De klopjacht op donkere materie by Dorine Schenk, an investigation into the search for the invisible matter that holds galaxies together. Schenk said this was, for her, the prize that mattered most: being enjoyed by young readers is a special compliment.
The vakjury of experts chose Lichteters by Zoë Schlanger, on the surprising ways plants perceive and respond to the world around them.
The winning books
- Scholierenjury: De klopjacht op donkere materie, Dorine Schenk (Veen Media)
- Vakjury: Lichteters, Zoë Schlanger, translated by Nico Groen (De Bezige Bij)
Dorine Schenk receives the student jury prize. Photo: Bob Bronshoff
