Rebecca Wragg Sykes
She is an archaeologist, author and public scholar, passionate about the deep human past and its relevance for humanity now and in the future. As Honorary Fellow at the University of Cambridge and University of Liverpool, she also works widely beyond academia, and whether in research, public and literary communication or consultancy, she’s driven by curiosity, critical thought and creativity. Her acclaimed first book “Kindred: Neanderthal Life, Love, Death and Art” won the PEN Hessell Tiltman prize for literary history, and her broader work has been widely recognised with the 2022 Public Anthropology Award (Royal Anthropological Institute), the 2022 President’s Award (Prehistoric Society), and the 2024 Darwin Day Medal (Humanists UK). Rebecca’s recent projects include two collaborative exhibitions, consulting on the Netflix film “Secrets of the Neanderthals”, and her forthcoming book “Matriarcha: Prehistory Reimagined”.