About Jenny
By day: cell biologist at UCL. By night: novelist, broadcaster, science writer, sci-lit-art pundit, blogger and Editor of LabLit.com. I blog about my life in science, not the facts and figures.
Category Archives: Writing
In which numbers lie – except when they flatter us
Bibliometrics have been making me cross recently. In the past month, I’ve stumbled across two instances where journal impact factors were being used in a grossly inappropriate way to assess the worth and quality of scientist colleagues. This exposure in … Continue reading
Posted in LabLit, Scientific papers, The profession of science, Writing
20 Comments
In which they don’t make authorship like they used to
I recently had the pleasure of helping to judge the Max Perutz Science Writing Prize competition, held by the Medical Research Council in collaboration with the London Metro newspaper. The brief for aspiring young writers was to explain why their … Continue reading
In which fantasy informs reality – and saves the planet
The discussion about what fiction can do for science is best encapsulated by the often heard, emblematic plea: Where’s my bloody jetpack, then? Okay, so the technorati may still be earthbound on Segways while they wait for the price of … Continue reading
Posted in LabLit, Science fiction, Writing
10 Comments
In which I am not worthy
I am still pinching myself. The good folks from the Edinburgh Book Festival have invited me to get up on stage with one of my favorite authors, Neal Stephenson, to discuss the importance of science fiction on science fact. The … Continue reading
Posted in LabLit, Nostalgia, Science fiction, Writing
8 Comments
In which I ponder the new Two Cultures
Given the recent trendiness of science/art/lit projects, and the grant money and audience interest they can pull in, CP Snow’s notion of ‘the Two Cultures’ is starting to feel a little bit antiquated. But I do sometimes wonder if a … Continue reading
Posted in Science journalism, The profession of science, Writing
2 Comments
In which not much is left to the imagination
Here’s a sign I snapped during my post-Christmas holiday in Yorkshire. Can you spot what’s wrong with it? It is a classic example of a violation of a rule that fiction writers refer to as “Show, Not Tell”. What it … Continue reading
Posted in Writing
16 Comments
In which I long to curl up with a good book
‘Tis the season when colleagues start discreetly disappearing from the lab, only to return a few hours later laden with shopping bags from Oxford Street. There is a run on discarded boxes and packing peanuts in the store room, and … Continue reading
Posted in LabLit, Writing
23 Comments
In which I do my bit
For me, one of the highlights of Science Online 2011 was meeting @HistoryGeek – Holly Tucker, an Associate Professor at Vanderbilt University who teaches French and the history of medicine, and whose upcoming book Blood Work, a tale of murder … Continue reading
Posted in LabLit, Writing
6 Comments
In which I ask my due
When has good writing become such a cheap commodity that people seem reluctant to pay for it? I still remember the first piece of proper science writing I ever did. The year was 2003, the place was Amsterdam, and my … Continue reading
Posted in Nostalgia, Writing
59 Comments
