Event Description
2026 Science + Literature–selected title Bog Queen by Anna North alternates between the perspectives of a forensic anthropologist, a 2,000-year-old druid, and a chorus of moss. Join North for a reading and conversation on the research behind her newest novel, and the impact of human ambition in art and science. Moderated by Akil Kumarasamy, author of the novel Meet Us by the Roaring Sea and 2026 Science + Literature selection committee member.
Limited free copies of Bog Queen will be available at the event, first come, first served. The program will be followed by a book signing and cash bar reception.
Remote viewers can tune into the Crowdcast livestream at https://www.crowdcast.io/c/scienceandliteratureannanorth.
Presented in partnership with GrubStreet and the National Book Foundation.
About the Authors
Anna North is the author of the novels America Pacifica, The Life and Death of Sophie Stark, and Outlawed, which was an instant New York Times bestseller and Reese's Book Club pick. She is also a senior correspondent at Vox. Her most recent novel, Bog Queen, was a national bestseller.
Akil Kumarasamy is the author of the linked story collection Half Gods, which was named a New York Times Editors' Choice, and the novel Meet Us by the Roaring Sea. She received the Bard Fiction Prize and the Story Prize Spotlight Award, and was a finalist for the Ursula K. Le Guin Prize, Lambda Literary Award, and PEN/Robert W. Bingham Prize. She has attended residencies at the Fine Arts Work Center, MacDowell, Yaddo, Callie’s Berlin, among others. She is an associate professor in the Rutgers University-Newark MFA program and a 2024–25 Fellow at the Harvard Radcliffe Institute.
About Science + Literature
The National Book Foundation’s Science + Literature program identifies three books annually, across genres, that deepen readers’ understanding of science and technology, and focuses on highlighting the diversity of voices in contemporary science and technology writing. Science + Literature is made possible by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation. Read more about the Science + Literature program on the National Book Foundation's website.
This class will take place in-person at our Center for Creative Writing in Boston's Seaport neighborhood.
Covid-19 Update:
GrubStreet's space will be mask-optional when Boston's Covid-19 Community Level is low or medium. When the Covid-19 Community Level is high, our space will require masks. Please check GrubStreet's Covid-19 page for the latest info on masking and Community Levels before visiting in person.
Space Accessibility:
Our space is ADA accessible with automatic door openers, ADA-compliant restrooms, desk and table spacing, braille signage, and elevator. Our classrooms can be equipped with ALS for hard of hearing individuals. We cannot guarantee a scent-free environment. For more accessibility requests, please contact our Operations team at [email protected] or (617) 695-0075.