Luke Manget, author of “Ginseng Diggers: A History of Root and Herb Gathering in Appalachia,” published by the University Press of Kentucky (UPK) has received the 2023 Weatherford Award for best nonfiction.
Presented annually by Berea College and the Appalachian Studies Association, the Weatherford Awards honor books in fiction, nonfiction and poetry categories that “best illuminate the challenges, personalities, and unique qualities of the Appalachian South.”
Manget’s debut book is the first of its kind to unearth the unique relationship between Appalachia and the global trade of medicinal plants. This release provides an extensive addition to the understanding of land use and gathering commons, medicine and capitalism, and the beginnings of the pharmaceutical industry.
