As a science writer, it’s easy to see science’s hand in all that we do. But 2020, perhaps more than any year in living memory, has thrust science to the fore. The pandemic and its rippling consequences have seen bathtubs-full of ink consumed, screens-full of pixels composed. Some of that vast mental labour will, no doubt, find its way onto the pages of TheBest Australian Science Writing 2021. But the collection will also bear witness to the less prominent work of scientists and writers that has escaped our attention.

The best science writing wows its readers with the wonders of the world and the universe beyond. But it does so much more than that, too. It communicates uncertainty to an audience hungry for concrete answers, and it gets us thinking about thorny ethical quandaries where science and society collide. Above all, it moves us.

That’s the kind of writing that you’ll find in TheBest Australian Science Writing 2021. Like the 10 anthologies that have preceded it, the book will celebrate writing that skilfully informs and artfully captivates its readers.

Now is the time for all writers to present their best pieces for consideration in The Best Australian Science Writing 2021. I’m looking for writing of all types, by writers, poets, journalists, scientists – anyone, really, who has taken the time to write about science in all its breadth and ambiguity.  

If you’ve written a feature, personal essay, news story, blog post, book extract, opinion piece or poem, I want to hear from you.

Pieces must have been published in print or online in Australia or globally between 1 January 2020 and 31 March 2021. Authors must be Australian residents or Australian citizens living overseas. The closing date for entries is 31 March 2021. 

Entries published between 1 April 2020 and 31 March 2021 are also eligible for the UNSW Press Bragg Prize for Science Writing. A first prize of $7000 and two runner-up prizes of $1500 each will be awarded. 

Please submit your work for consideration to scienceprize@newsouthpublishing.com and feel free to contact us for any other information.

Download an entry form for the Best Australian Science Writing anthology and the Bragg Prize here. 

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