Writers are being invited to submit their thoughts about the contribution of chemistry to the well-being of our world in this year’s Royal Society of New Zealand Manhire Prize for Creative Science Writing competition.

Writers are being invited to submit their thoughts about the contribution of chemistry to the well-being of our world in this year’s Royal Society of New Zealand Manhire Prize for Creative Science Writing competition.

 This is New Zealand’s only literary award for science writing, and carries cash prizes of $2500 for each of the non-fiction and fiction categories. The winning entries will be published in the New Zealand Listener.

 The theme for this year was chosen to celebrate the 2011 International Year of Chemistry.

 Prize-winning poet and fiction writer, Bill Manhire, after whom the competition is named, says: “This year our muse is a quote from Vincent O’Sullivan – ‘I unhem creation a little, to work out the stitch’.

 “Vincent wrote this about Marie Curie’s work on radiation 100 years ago. We think it will inspire writers to consider how chemistry underpins every part of our world and what society does with this knowledge.”

 The writing competition has been running since 2007 and aims to encourage exciting science writing. Entries are judged on their literary merits and how accessible they are to the general public.

 Past winners of the competition include Dave Armstrong, Alice Miller and Tina Makereti. This year’s judge is Jo Randerson a Wellington-based award winning writer, theatre maker and cross media artist. She is the author of two short story collections, and many plays which have toured both New Zealand and internationally.

 The Manhire Prize Creative Science Writing competition is a partnership between the Royal Society of New Zealand, the New Zealand Listener Magazine and the Institute of Modern Letters at Victoria University.

 Entry forms can be found in this week’s Listener Magazine and on the Royal Society of New Zealand website. Closing date for entries is 9 September 2011.

 The first 100 entries received win a copy of the book “Are Angels OK?” the anthology in which Vincent O’Sullivan’s quote appears.

An e-book of all past winning entries will be available from the Royal Society of New Zealand website by the end of June.

For further information: Melissa Pentecost melissa.pentecost@royalsociety.org.nz ,  04 470 5770

More information about the prize can be found here http://www.royalsociety.org.nz/programmes/competitions/manhire-prize/2011/

 Background information

The Royal Society of New Zealand promotes science, technology and humanities in schools, in industry and in society. We administer several funds for science and technology, publish science journals, offer advice to Government, and foster international scientific contact and co-operation.