A prize for creative science writing has been established by the Royal Society of New Zealand, in association with the New Zealand Listener and the International Institute of Modern Letters (IIML) at Victoria University of Wellington.
Image: The competition will have a different theme each year. For 2007, entries will be based on a statement about climate change.A prize for creative science writing has been established by the Royal Society of New Zealand, in association with the New Zealand Listener and the International Institute of Modern Letters (IIML) at Victoria University of Wellington.
Image: The competition will have a different theme each year. For 2007, entries will be based on a statement about climate change.The Royal Society of New Zealand Manhire Prize for Creative Science Writing will have two cash prizes of $2,500 each for the best fiction and non-fiction entries.
The entries will be shortlisted by IIML and the winners judged by Radio NZ National presenter Kim Hill CRSNZ.
The competition has been established in response to the popularity of the Are Angels OK? Project, which brought together writers and scientists. The prize is named after Bill Manhire, who directed the collaboration together with physicist Professor Paul Callaghan.
There will be a different theme each year. In 2007, it is climate change. Writers will be asked to base their entries on this statement:
"Many scientists believe that climate change is a serious threat to human civilisation. Regardless of climate change, we need to find sustainable forms of agriculture, manufacturing and energy. How will we respond? How can we respond?"
This theme applies to both the fiction and creative non-fiction categories. Entries will be judged on their literary merits, and the extent to which they are likely to engage the reader.
The New Zealand Listener will publicise the prize and publish the winning entries. The competition closes on 16 August. For full details of the entry conditions, visit the New Zealand Listener website.
29/5/07