Writing Science: The What, the How, the Why

Writing Science: The What, the How, the Why
Vaughan Park, Long Bay, Auckland 20-22 October 2012

MEDIA RELEASE

“There is an increasing concern about the conflation of water security, food security and energy security against the backdrop of global population increase to at least 9 billion by 2050, climate change and rising incidences of non-communicable disease ... Science is essential to addressing these components of the ‘perfect storm’. The issue of public engagement and understanding is already a challenge and will grow.” Professor Sir Peter Gluckman, Transition To Sustainability Conference, University of Auckland, Nov 2010

Turning scientific material into accesible, engaging prose has grown in scope and importance this century. How writers achieve this is the focus of a writers’ residential workshop to be held at Labour weekend in Auckland.

It will be the fourth residential workshop organised by the Michael King Writers’ Centre for emerging and mid career writers. Previous residential workshops, which mainly cover non-fiction, were on writing history, biography and the Maori world.

The symposium style workshop, limited to 24 writers, offers a focused, interactive environment in the company of fellow writers and respected professionals. Complementary sessions will cover effective visual presentation, writing for the web, advocacy, ethics, and writing and publishing for different audiences. Eighteen speakers and chairs, many living in, are involved in presentations, discussions and more informal small group sessions.

Royal Society of New Zealand Science Book Prize winners Alison Ballance and Rebecca Priestley are joined by neuroscientist and noted author Michael Corballis, zoologists and science communication academics Lloyd Davis and Simon Pollard, scientist editor and educator Gary Raumati Hook, NZ Post and Montana non-fiction book awards winner Janet Hunt, geologists and authors Bruce Hayward and Simon Nathan, Science Media Centre’s Peter Griffin, environmental advocate Raewyn Peart, author and Te Araroa driver Geoff Chapple, natural history writer/ illustrator Dave Gunson, psychopharmacology expert Roger Porsolt and author/publishers Jane Connor (CPP), Gordon Ell (Bush Press), Mary Varnham (Awa) and Sam Elworthy (AUP).

Writers who have some publishing record or who are specialists in their field are invited to apply for the workshop. Participants will have published articles in journals, magazines or websites, and some will have published chapters in books or have books published or in progress. Those attending may be scientists, historians of science and medicine, natural history and technical writers, science journalists, Te Ara/Encyclopedia writers, writers covering public health and environmental issues, those currently writing in the science field and crossover published writers who have only recently started writing about science.

Applications close 15th July 2012 and should include a writing CV. The cost, including two nights’ accommodation and all meals is $480.00 (incl GST $552.00) twin share or $520.00 (incl GST $598.00) single. More information about the residential workshops, the programme, application form and profiles of speakers for October 2012 are at www.writerscentre.org.nz.

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