This time tomorrow, it will all be over. The winners of the 2008 Royal Society Prizes for Science Books will have been announced, celebrated, given trophies and cheques, and interviewed and photographed. Several months of planning, devising, implementing, writing, commissioning, reading, judging, and lots more, will be over.
It’s odd, the night before a big event. Because… well, though I am planning to be in work very early (by my standards) tomorrow, most of the work is already done, and the success of the event is pretty much out of my hands.
It’s like when a friend took me to the opera as her “plus one”, and we were both guests of the director. I was somewhat surprised to be sitting in the middle of the stalls some three or four seats away from him. “There’s nothing he can do now,” my friend explained, “everything he could do, he’s done.”
There are a few things I have to do tomorrow (like getting the winning cheques made up, writing to the 120odd groups of young judges that picked the Junior Prize shortlist to let them know who won, setting up the room and things like that) but the important things are out of my hands. That’s up to the General Prize judges (whose last meeting is tomorrow), the press team, the event team (Laura, the event manager, the AV and catering folk), and the guests now.
I remember a colleague joking that her event survival kit was a bottle of vodka and 20 cigarettes. Mine’s several bars of Ritter Marzipan, Frusli bars, oatcakes and biscuits – all bought, so all should be fine. It keeps me gong nicely. A couple of years ago, I dived into my drawer of goodies as the chair of the judges, Nick Ross, was a bit peckish mid-afternoon – and discovered we have a shared love of marzipan chocolate.
I usually have odd dreams in advance of events like these – rarely the night before, more weeks in advance for a couple of nights. Nothing too bad this year – they were back in March, and were just odd. Last night I did have a strange dream I’d arranged an event the night before the ceremony, with Craig Venter (one of the shortlisted authors) speaking. It was in a school classroom, and only two people turned up – both journalists trying to publicise books of their own. Craig gave the talk, but quit after 40 minutes (he was meant to talk for an hour), as he had to get to the airport. Not quite sure what that all means.
Do you dream of your work too? Or have a survival kit for big experiment days?
Anyway, must sleep. But if you see me tomorrow night, either in person or on the live webcast and I’m rushing around manically, don’t fret – its just a sugar rush from all that chocolate!
Let us know how it went Scott – I look forward to a full report!
Dream? Bloody nightmares more like. I guess it’s fair, though: I can do cell culture in my sleep.
I’m looking forward to the ceremony tonight, Scott! I’m sure it will come off with its usual aplomb.
Unfortunately one thing is for sure, a woman will not win the prize.
But enjoy, nonetheless! Hope it is a good evening.
Is that because none were shortlisted?
(The site has been down since yesterday – probably because it’s running IIS.)
Unfortunately one thing is for sure, a woman will not win the prize.
Not the General Prize – this year, all the General Prize shortlist authors were men. This reflects the mostly male authorship of the entries.
For the Junior Prize, the winning authors were women. And the shortlist had many women too. This reflects the authorship of the entries.
For the record, the winners were:
Junior Prize winner: Big Book of Science Things to Make and Do by Rebecca Gilpin and Leonie Pratt, (Usborne)
General Prize winner: Six Degrees by Mark Lynas (Fourth Estate/Harper Collins)
The site has been down since yesterday – probably because it’s running IIS.
More likely because something has to go wrong every year, and this year, it is that. We’ve put a link through from the holding page on the Rs website to our flickr profile which I’ve been able to update with the news of the winners.
Like I said, the important things are out of my hands!
Thanks, Scott, for the news. Yes, I was aware that there were no women on the main shortlist, and made a comment to that effect at the time of course, just to wave half a flag.
Yes, I was aware that there were no women on the main shortlist, and made a comment to that effect at the time of course, just to wave half a flag.
It’s an interesting thing, that repeats each year – we usually get one or so out of the six adult books written by women, but that’s it. Fewer women seem to write (or get published) pop science books for adults. And I don’t know why.