Manchester University Press are delighted to announce that author and academic Ben Alderson-Day has won the 2023 British Psychological Society Book Award in their Popular Science Category for his book Presence: The strange science and true stories of the unseen other.
Ben Alderson-Day is an Associate Professor in Psychology and a Fellow of the Institute for Medical Humanities at Durham University. A specialist in atypical cognition and mental health, his work spans cognitive neuroscience, psychiatry, philosophy, and child development.
The British Psychological Society Book Awards seek to recognise works of excellence in the literature of psychology and are chosen by a committee from nominations. The Award confers a commemorative certificate and prize money of £500 for each nominee.
Sarb Bajwa, Chief Executive of the BPS, said of this year’s winners: ‘This award has historically recognised some of the most significant works in psychology, and this year we’ve seen five excellent titles successful across three categories. The breadth of topics covered by the winners just shows the diversity and strength of our discipline, and I’m delighted that we’ve been able to recognise popular science titles which widen the reach of psychology to the public, alongside academic monographs and textbooks.’
In Presence, Ben Alderson-Day explores one of the most curious experiences known to humankind: the universal, disturbing sense that someone or something is there when we are alone – the feeling of an unseen presence. The book is a fascinating exploration through cutting-edge research in contemporary psychology, psychiatry, neuroscience and philosop
Taking the reader on a riveting and emotional journey, Presence offers remarkable insights into the experience of felt presence and how it relates to a range of medical conditions, including sleep paralysis, dementia and Parkinson’s. This compelling story will stoke the fascination of sceptics and ardent believers alike who are drawn to the mystery of the unseen.
Author Ben Alderson-Day said of the announcement: ‘It’s a real honour to receive this award. As a student I was inspired to work in psychology by reading previous BPS winners like Madness Explained by Richard Bentall and Consciousness: Creeping up on the Hard Problem by Jeffrey Gray. I am delighted that Presence is in such illustrious company, and I hope it can have the same effect for psychologists of the future.’