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Kindred

Neanderthal Life, Love, Death & Art

Kindred

Critically Acclaimed Bestseller

Published in 2020, Rebecca’s debut book presented a new vision of Neanderthals, synthesising huge archaeological advances of the past thirty years. Rooted in the scientific detail yet vividly written with literary flair, Kindred is not just a definitive account of what we know about these ancient relatives, but also an invitation to readers to experience a little of what life was like tens or hundreds of millennia ago.

Represented by: Patrick Walsh, PEW Literary

Awards & Recognition

Rebecca Wragg Sykes Wins PEN Hessell-Tiltman Prize 2021
Rebecca Wragg Sykes - Award

WINNER: PEN Hessell-Tiltman Prize 2021

Finalist, Mądra Książka Roku (Smart Book Of The Year) 2021

Finalist, Premio Galileo Award 2022

Longlist, Wissenschaftsbuch des Jahres (Science Book Of the Year) 2023

Book of the Year, 2021 Current Archaeology

100 Notable Books of 2021, The New York Times

One of 2020's best books:

Reviews

Book of The Week, The Times

“If you read only one book about the Neanderthals, read this one” - “A superbly authoritative guided tour”

Book of the Day, The Guardian

"A combination of the scholarly and the writerly"

100 Notable Books of 2021, The New York Times

"A complete new story about Neanderthals... synthesizing thousands of academic studies into a single accessible narrative" - "Important reading for anyone interested in humanity"

The London Review of Books

"Kindred is a thrillingly full account of what we currently know about the Neanderthals."

Pop Culture

Kindred has been featured in a number of pop cultural contexts including as the New York Times Acrostic solution, The Time Daily Quiz, Merriam Webster, and a question on University Challenge.

 Rebecca is always delighted to hear from readers who have been creatively inspired, in art, music or poetry

"Kindred is a thrillingly full account... Wragg Sykes' project is to write about Neanderthals as an end in themselves, not as a failed version of humanity"

Foreign Editions

Kindred is currently available in 20 languages, has been widely reviewed and a bestseller in several translations including Spanish. Publisher and reviews available via the link below.

Useful Info

Kindred discussion information for book clubs.

Rather than traditional citations as foot or endnotes, the references for Kindred are offered below as an open access Google Doc. This listing is being updated and reformatted and I would be grateful to know if readers spot omissions and errors.

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