Jul 12, 2024

Sound, Order and Survival in Prison wins the BSC Book Award

Bristol University Press is proud to announce Sound, Order and Survival: The Rhythms and Routines of HMP Midtown by Kate Herrity has won the British Society of Criminology Book Award. The award is given to distinctive or innovative publications that make a valuable contribution to the further development of criminology.

Published by Bristol University Press, the book brings the soundscape of prison life vividly to life through aural ethnography.

Author Kate Herrity said: “I was a bit overwhelmed to win the BSC annual book prize, but of course, we never write these things or form these ideas alone, they are a collective endeavour. Bristol University Press were a huge part of this process for me. I genuinely felt those I worked with were invested in the book. They were kind, supportive, unfailingly professional and attentive to detail. From the initial review stage to being awarded the prize, Bristol were with me every step of the way and I owe them a huge debt of gratitude, not only for the support but the genuinely positive working relationship they built with me.”

Chair of BSC Prizes Committee, Rachel Vipond, said: “This book provides a powerful and persuasive application of interdisciplinary theory to articulate the importance of sound in the prison environment. Its relevance extends beyond prison and demonstrates the importance of sound in other criminological environments and our social world more broadly. The author persuasively demonstrates the significance of sound in developing richer understandings of the relationship between people and place. A terrific contribution to the discipline!”

You can find out more about the book and browse chapter abstracts on Bristol University Press Digital.

More on the book in the media:
Guest blog with independent crime consultant Russell Webster
Sound, Order and Survival in Prison… and Beyond in King’s College Cambridge E-Lab blog
Kate Herrity curates a blog to encourage conversation around prisons and sensory criminology