Cosmologist Janna Levin has an eye for winning books. Last year a judge for the Aventis Prizes for Science Books, now she鈥檚 snapped up Man Booker prizewinner Vernon God Little by D. B. C. Pierre (Faber and Faber). 鈥淚t鈥檚 funny, irreverent and steeped in scandal.鈥�
She鈥檚 curious to see how American novelist Don DeLillo blends narrative and non-fiction in Libra (Penguin, 1989), in which the assassination of J. F. Kennedy plays a central role. 鈥淚 wondered if it鈥檚 possible to ensnare the reader in a story with the subtleties of beautiful narrative while folding in historical events,鈥� she says.
In January 2004 Levin will be heading to New York to take up the position of assistant professor of astronomy and astrophysics at Barnard College at Columbia University. 鈥淚 haven鈥檛 read any science books lately,鈥� Levin admits, perhaps because until the end of this year, she鈥檚 indulging her passion for art as scientist-in-residence at Oxford鈥檚 Ruskin School of Fine Art.
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