Scientists and writers: a great idea

SciTalk is a website that promotes contact between scientists and writers (of novels, short stories, poetry, plays, screen plays, etc.) in order to facilitate the realistic portrayal of scientists in art.

Scientists need to show writers — poets, playwrights, novelists – the wealth of possibilities that are opened up to fiction by using science and scientists in their work. Just as a novel with an accountant as a main character need not be about accountancy, a novel with a scientist need not be about science. Scientists need writers to show that they are 'normal people' from all backgrounds, with normal concerns.

SciTalk offers a way for scientists to communicate their expertise and their enthusiasm to writers, and a way for writers to find out about science and how scientists ‘work’ — through personal contact and meeting face-to-face, not just by email or phone.

Scientists contribute personal information and contact details to the site in order for writers to arrange meetings. There is a very detailed directory of scientific specialties that can be browsed for working professional scientists.