The Wellcome Trust Science Writing Prize 2011
In association with the 'Guardian' and the 'Observer'
We are delighted to announce that the winners of the inaugural Wellcome Trust Science Writing Prize, in association with the 'Guardian' and the 'Observer', are:
- Category A (professional scientists of postgraduate level and above): Penny Sarchet for her article ‘Death by hypochondria: the nocebo effect’
- Category B (anyone else with a non-professional interest in science, including undergraduate students): Tess Shellard for her article ‘Bacteria and the power of teamwork’.
Both articles will be published in the 'Guardian' or the 'Observer', and in 'Wellcome News', in the coming months.
Shortlist
After receiving almost 800 entries, we selected a shortlist of 15 entries in each category:
Category A (Professional scientists of postgraduate level and above)
Thomas Douglas
Paul Fletcher
James Keidel
Fiona Lethbridge
James Lloyd
Nick Love
David Lowe
Reshad Malik
Scott McKellar
Marianne Neary
Catherine Pratt
Penny Sarchet
Francesca Scott
Chris Sinclair
Mike Whitfield
Category B (Anyone else with a non-professional interest in science, including undergraduate students)
Zain Abbas
Crystal Bennes
Stuart Farrimond
Leili Farzaneh
Imogen House
Mike Jones
Helen Klus
Jerome Langford
Kelly Oakes
Tess Shellard
Jasmine Spavieri
Ben Storey
Daniel Swindlehurst
Bill Thisdell
Keith Warren
The information below is for reference only.
About the Prize
This exciting new competition aims to find the next generation of undiscovered science writing talent.
We are looking for short articles that address any area of science and would be suitable for publication in the 'Guardian' or the 'Observer' in print and online. You must demonstrate that you have thought about and understood your audience and can bring a scientific idea to life. The deadline for entries is 20 May 2011.
The judges are looking for originality, bright ideas and a distinctive writing style. Your 800-word article should show a passion for science and encourage the general public to consider, question and debate the key issues in science and society.
Possible areas of science include: medicine, neurology, science education, biomedical science, ageing, nutrition, physics, engineering, chemistry, biology, the body, sports sciences, space, genetics, climate change, evolution, energy, infectious diseases, medical humanities, medical history and ethics.
Categories
You must be a non-published* writer based in the UK or RoI. You can enter in either of two categories, with the winner of each receiving a prize:
a) professional scientists of postgraduate level and above
b) anyone else with a non-professional interest in science (this includes undergraduate students).
* By "published" we are referring to professional journalists and authors who already write for money. We welcome entries from bloggers and student journalists.
See our frequently asked questions and answers.
What you can win
Prizes will be awarded by a panel of judges and will be presented at a prestigious ceremony at the Wellcome Trust on 12 October 2011.
The winning articles from each category will be published in the 'Guardian' or the 'Observer'. Winners will also receive a £1000 cash prize.
The top 30 shortlisted entrants will also be invited to attend a science writing workshop at the 'Guardian' offices in October 2011.
