Edna Bonhomme is an American critic, journalist, and historian. Her book A History of the World in Six Plagues was shortlisted for a 2025 science book prize. A graduate of Princeton University’s Ph.D. program in History of Science, her research examines contagion, epidemics, and toxicity by asking: what makes people sick? As a journalist, she investigates disorders, medical experiments, reproductive health, and toxicity. She teaches at the Berlin University of the Arts and is based in Berlin.

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Book

A History of the World in Six Plagues

This book examines six epidemics to illuminate issues of power and inequality, showing how colonialism, racism, gender, and class shape our experiences of illness. With a multifaceted perspective, it invites deeper reflection on how we respond to crises and the potential for building a just society.