The Diagram Prize for the Oddest Book Title of the Year 2021 Shortlist is Revealed | The Bookseller

For the first time in the Diagram's 43-year history, all six shortlisted titles come from university presses or academia. They include Curves for the Mathematically Curious, which looks at the "elegant and often surprising mathematics" involved in mathematical curves; Handbook of Research on Health and Environmental Benefits of Camel Products, which promises cutting edge data on the "ship of the desert"; and Hats: A Very Unnatural History, which lifts the lid on the use of birds and other mammals in the making of headwear.

Also competing for the 2021 gong are Is Superman Circumcised?, a look at the Jewish influences of the DC superhero; The Life Cycle of Russian Things: From Fish Guts to Fabergé, a 400-year history of Russian material culture; and Miss, I Don't Give a Shit: Engaging with Challenging Behaviour in Schools, a guide which aims to help teachers get through a lesson "without a desk flying at you"