Entries are now open for writers to submit their pieces for consideration in The Best Australian Science Writing 2023 and the UNSW Press Bragg Prize for Science Writing 2023.

The Best Australian Science Writing 2023 will anthologise a watershed year, a period of adjustment after the height of the coronavirus pandemic. Marked by devastating floods, both in Australia and internationally, the year brought a sobering reminder of the accelerating impacts of the climate crisis.

At a time of great upheaval, science seeks to address some of our biggest problems. How do we prevent the next pandemic? How do we stem high rates of biodiversity loss? What are the ethical considerations as we look beyond our own planet, towards space exploration? How will advances in gene editing and biotechnology change medical treatment? As we develop artificial intelligence that is capable of creating visual art or seemingly sentient, what are the risks and responsibilities?

Donna Lu, editor of The Best Australian Science Writing 2023, says: 'I am looking for contributions that explain, question and respond to the most pressing science issues of our time. I am looking for writing that is – like good science – underpinned by curiosity, and which reveals something new or important about ourselves or about the world (or wider universe) that we live in.

'I am interested in writing of all kinds, including features, essays, news stories, book extracts, opinion pieces and poetry. I'd love to read contributions from both established and emerging voices, across a breadth of backgrounds: writers, journalists, poets, scientists, science communicators.'

Pieces must have been published in print or online in Australia or globally between 1 January 2022 and 31 March 2023. Authors must be Australian residents or Australian citizens living overseas. The closing date for entries is 31 March 2023.

Entries published between 1 April 2022 and 31 March 2023 are also eligible for the 2023 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 and the Bragg Prize. More information can also be found here.