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
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
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.
Kindred by Rebecca Wragg Sykes - UK Edition
Kindred by Rebecca Wragg Sykes - Czech Edition
Neandertales by Rebecca Wragg Sykes - Portuguee Edition
Kindred by Rebecca Wragg Sykes - UK Edition
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.