Dr. Richard Roche has been shortlisted for this year's Wellcome Trust Science Writing Prize 2012. The highly popular and respected science writing prize is awarded each year in association with the ‘Guardian’ and the ‘Observer’. This year there were 600 entries across three categories, but only 10 were shortlisted for the professional scientists category.
Dr. Roche's essay was entitled "Lost in translation: The dangers of using analogies in science" and it can be read on-line here.
The awards were recently presented at a ceremony at Wellcome Collection. Two of the judges, comedian Robin Ince and science broadcaster Liz Bonnin, presented each of the winners with a trophy and a £1000 prize. Another judge, Ian Tucker, editor of the Discover section in the 'Observer', said: "I was incredibly impressed by the calibre of what we read. People had chosen great stories - from space science, genetics, mathematics - and told them with a great deal of style. Communicating science can be a challenging prospect but these writers have shown great skill and many fresh ideas."
Mark Henderson, Head of Communications at the Wellcome Trust and one of this year's judges, said: "Science should be part of everyday conversation. The number of applicants, and the quality of the writing we received, proves there are many people who agree and have the passion to make it happen. I hope everyone on the shortlist, not just the winners, will continue communicating their ideas and inspiring others."
