Dava Sobel at the NYS Writers Institute in 2011

Dava Sobel, bestselling science writer, is the author most recently of A More Perfect Heaven: How Copernicus Revolutionized the Cosmos (2011), the story of the reclusive Polish Catholic priest (1473-1543) whose scientific observations changed mankind's view of the Universe.

Embedded in the new book is Sobel's play about Copernicus, "And the Sun Stood Still," which was presented as a staged reading by the Writers Institute in April 2008. The play, a fictional speculation intended to fill a two-year gap in the life of the astronomer, has continued to be developed over the course of the past few years in consultation with playwright, director, UAlbany professor and New York State Writers Institute Program Fellow W. Langdon Brown, among others.

Sobel's 1995 surprise bestseller, Longitude: The True Story of a Lone Genius Who Solved the Greatest Scientific Problem of His Time, winner of the British Book of the Year award, tells the tale of John Harrison, a self-educated 18th century English clockmaker and his quest to develop a reliable instrument for ocean navigation.

Galileo's Daughter: A Historical Memoir of Science, Faith and Love (1999), was a number one New York Times nonfiction bestseller, and winner of the Los Angeles Times Book Award. The book presents the fascinating relationship between Galileo and his illegitimate daughter, Virginia, a Franciscan nun. Entertainment Weekly said that Sobel "[transforms] what could have been a dusty academic subject into a rich, gripping page-turner." The book was named one of the best books of the year by the American Library Association, and Esquire, and was a New York Times Notable Book.

Sobel is also the author of the lavishly illustrated The Planets (2005). The book combines lyrical prose, and beautiful examples of human art, poetry, and storytelling, with Sobel's singular talent for explaining both the history of science and modern-day scientific discoveries.

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