Scientists and writers need each other

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.

Writers: you need no longer fear the apparent mystique and impenetrability of science, or worry about getting facts wrong, or having to resort to the scientist as cliché for a character. As you will discover here, there are scientists for every occasion, for every character. Science is individual or collaborative; scientists may be based in a laboratory or an office or a tent out in the wilds. The language and jargon can be exciting; the images are extraordinary; and the workplaces offer a wealth of different settings and scenarios.

Enjoy discovering more and putting your discoveries to good use in your work. You will find here scientists, men and women, who range from technicians to postgraduate research assistants to research group leaders, from academics to bioethicists to those working in commercial companies.

Browse the site or search for a particular expertise — then contact the scientists and arrange to meet.

• Read what leading scientists and authors have to say about the SciTalk project