Anand Pandian, an Indian American anthropologist, has been awarded the 2026 Zócalo Book Prize for his work, ‘Something Between Us: The Everyday Walls of American Life, and How to Take Them Down.’
LOS ANGELES, CA — Indian American anthropologist Anand Pandian has been recognized as the recipient of the 2026 Zócalo Book Prize for his insightful book, Something Between Us: The Everyday Walls of American Life, and How to Take Them Down.
Pandian will receive this honor at Zócalo Public Square’s annual Book Prize event, scheduled for June 25 at the ASU California Center Broadway in Los Angeles. The event, titled America, Can We Take Down the Walls Between Us?, will feature a lecture by Pandian, followed by a discussion with political strategist Mike Madrid, co-founder of The Lincoln Project.
The book emerged from Pandian’s travels across the United States, which he undertook in response to the increasing divisions in American public life that became evident during the 2016 election year. Through his visits to various communities, he aimed to understand the underlying forces contributing to social and political polarization, as well as the initiatives aimed at bridging these divides.
“Some years ago, I realized I barely knew this country where I was born and where I’ve spent most of my life,” Pandian stated in a release from Zócalo Public Square. “I set out to understand the impasses that we remain caught in as a country as well as what it would take to work beyond inherited histories of violence and indifference.”
He emphasized that his project introduced him to individuals striving for “a more just and humane future,” remarking, “There’s a reason yet for hope in these United States.”
The Zócalo Book Prize, which includes a $10,000 award, is presented annually to a nonfiction book published in the United States that enhances understanding of community, social cohesion, and the dynamics that either strengthen or weaken human connections.
Pandian joins a distinguished list of previous recipients, which includes notable figures such as Danielle Allen, Jonathan Haidt, Héctor Tobar, and Jean-Martin Bauer.
Currently, Pandian serves as the Krieger-Eisenhower Professor of Anthropology at Johns Hopkins University. He is also the author of A Possible Anthropology: Methods for Uneasy Times. In addition to his recent work, he is engaged in a project focused on global efforts to create a zero-waste future, which includes research initiatives in India.
According to Zócalo Public Square, Pandian’s work is a vital contribution to understanding the complexities of American life and the potential pathways toward unity.