Lydia Denworth

Lydia Denworth is a journalist and author who focuses on science and environment stories. She is best known for her book, I Can Hear You Whispering: An Intimate Journey Through the Science of Sound. The book won the Science Book Prize from the National Science Teachers Association and was named one of the best science books of 2015 by the New York Times Book Review.

Denworth was born in Toronto and grew up in Massachusetts. She received a Master’s degree in Environmental Studies from Yale University and she worked in wildlife conservation and environmental policy.

In her writing, Denworth delves into the secrets of science and nature, exploring the world around us. Her articles have appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post, Scientific American and other publications.

I Can Hear You Whispering is an exploration of the myriad ways within which humans, animals and the environment interact with sound. Denworth looks at sound from a scientific and artistic perspective, focusing on its power to shape human life, to affect behavior and to heal. Through the use of personal anecdotes, interviews, and the stories of scientists from around the world, she expertly weaves the story of sound in our lives.

Denworth uses I Can Hear You Whispering to explore the importance of sound in the greater context of our lives. She studies how noise affects health, as well as how silence can be used for healing. Additionally, Denworth delves into the impact of sound on memory and creativity, using her own story of hearing loss as an example. Denworth seeks to open readers’ minds to the wonders that lie in sound and to understand how it can shape our lives.

In addition to I Can Hear You Whispering, Denworth is the author of two novels: Memory’s Last Breath and The Silent Vaults. Memory’s Last Breath reveals how science meets mystery when a woman discovers a mysterious painting in her grandmother’s house and sets out on a journey to uncover the painting’s secrets. The Silent Vaults is a psychological thriller set in post-World War II Italy, as two women investigate a local mystery and find themselves in a fight against sinister forces they can’t comprehend.

Denworth has also written a young adult novel, Escape from Somerville, which follows the story of a young girl who discovers a portal to another world and must fight to protect her family from the dangers of the place she’s stumbled into.

In addition to her books, Denworth has written for ABC News, worked as a contributing editor for US News & World Report, and served as a National Science Writers Fellow at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution. Denworth also speaks at schools, universities, and science conferences around the world.

Denworth's work has been praised for its lyrical writing, for her ability to bring scientific research to life, and for her exploration of the power of sound. Her books and her articles exemplify her passion for science and her ability to share the wonders of the world around us.