For over 20 years, the Science Writers and Communicators of Canada (SWCC) Book Awards has celebrated great science books for readers of all ages. From rocketships to medical breakthroughs to the bugs and the bees, these titles inspire curiosity and wonder about the world around us, and make readers think, “Hey! I learned something new today.”

Science offers an approach to understanding the natural world through observation, experimentation, and evidence-based reasoning, while valuing diverse forms of knowledge - including Indigenous ways of knowing - that are grounded in empirical understanding, cultural context, and community practices. Science celebrates critical inquiry and the use of rigorous methodology to distinguish knowledge from personal beliefs and pseudoscientific claims.

There are two submission categories available:

1. Youth
2. General 

Since 2021, SWCC has also awarded the Paradigm Prize for Underrepresented Perspectives in Science Writing. Eligible recipients include a first-time author, an author/illustrator from an equity-seeking or underrepresented background, and/or work published by a small press or independent publisher. The Paradigm Prize will be selected from the shortlist of finalists for the two main categories and can be held in tandem with one of the other awards. Please note that judges will only consider entries that self-disclose their eligibility for the Paradigm Prize.

The award for each of the two main categories is $1,000. The winner of the Paradigm Prize will also receive $500 in recognition of their achievement.