Who He?
I have been a science writer, editor and reviewer since the early 1980s, with spells as a journalist, academic and publisher.
I now mainly write books, and take on other freelance commissions which are interesting or lucrative enough to divert me from that, or get me out of the house.
The latest is The Rough Guide to the Future, published in Nov 2010. It looks like this. Read the Preface here on my book blog.
I have also lectured widely and created and taught science communication courses in several universities. And I have always enjoyed helping other people get their ideas into shape - whether through book editing, report writing, conference summaries, or consultancy.
I have an enduring fascination with social research related to science
and technology (my own main academic study once upon a time) and in the
way it informs the wider social conversation about science.
I enjoy writing and editing on assignment, especially around life science, science and society and policy issues. I'd be happy to do some for you, too. I have write for a wide range of audiences, producing everything from books to museum exhibition guides to school resources.
I have also edited a range of books, including Icon Books Revolutions in Science Series. And while at Penguin, and since then as a consulting editor, I have had a hand in editing books by (in no particular order) Brian Greene, Jared Diamond, Michio Kaku, John Gribbin, Jim Baggott, Peter Smith, and David Rothenberg. I also edit academic papers on occasion (though I cannot improve your data, I may be able to help with the presentation).
My latest major project was a jointly authored book for the British Heart Foundation in connection with their 50th anniversary in 2011. I'm currently mulling what my next self-starting book will be. Something to do with philosophy of science seems to be brewing, but I haven't told my agent that yet... I am also joining the EU project Nanopinion in 2012 as their editorial adviser.
I live in Bristol, where my partner's academic career brought us a few years ago. I blog about futures and
forecasting, here,
where I also list occasional public appearances, and there is a link on
the right to a separate blog about jazz in Bristol and the South West.
You can follow me on twitter @jonWturney
Contact
You can contact me at
(myname)(at)gmail.com
or call (UK) 0117 924 0877
(P.S. if you found your way here via the ABSW's list of
science writers' web pages, then thanks for checking near the bottom of
the list...)