Callum White wins the ABA National Book Collecting Prize 2025

The judges were highly impressed by Callum's thoughtfully constructed collection, which demonstrates a keen eye for the human stories and relationships that lay behind scientific endeavours. The collection demonstrates an understanding of books not only as printed texts, but as historical, personal objects, and is combined with a deep knowledge of the subject. The judges noted that the collection has a clear future trajectory forming the basis of a genuinely innovative resource, within which the items are in conversation with one another, telling a story greater than the
sum of its parts.

Of his win, Callum says:

I am honoured to receive the ABA National Book Collecting Prize for my collection, Splitting the world: the atomic scientists and their second acts. This collection began with a copy of J. Robert Oppenheimer’s Science and the Common Understanding. Oppenheimer’s conflicted voice, his attempt to reconcile science with conscience, stayed with me. From then on, I set out to trace the human stories of atomic scientists, not only as architects of history but also as individuals who later emerged from moral shadows, often seeking redemption through their “second acts”.

The collection now spans four phases: the innocent curiosity of pre-war inquiry; the dramatic turning point of fission’s discovery; the wartime shift to engineering and regulation; and finally, the divergent paths taken by scientists in the aftermath of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Each item has been chosen not only for its intellectual significance but also for its human fingerprint, inscriptions, and provenance, which connect us to the lived experiences of those who shaped and were shaped by the atomic age. From Hahn and Strassmann’s original fission papers to one of my favourite items bearing Hubert Yockey’s tender inscription “with love to mother and dad,” these works speak in dialogue with one another, telling a story greater than the sum of their parts.

Winning this prize is an encouragement that the collection speaks of the enduring relationship between science and humanity. I intend to use the prize money to seek out further overlooked voices that illuminate the personal transformations of scientists after the war, thereby strengthening the collection's narrative arc. I hope that this collection will not only preserve the voices of atomic scientists but also invite reflection on the enduring dialogue between science and society. I am deeply grateful to the judging panel for their recognition and encouragement, and I look forward to exhibiting the collection at Firsts London in 2026.