ABSW Monthly Showcase
The monthly showcase aims to start conversations between members, and expand coverage and reach of ABSW members’ work.
ABSW has an incredible, talented, diverse membership and we want to show off the best writing from our members.
Each month we ask ABSW members to send us links to articles they’ve written that they are particularly proud of. The ABSW board chooses their favourite story for our monthly showcase.
Monthly showcase article: January 2025
Sophie Berdugo's article 'Music sounds better with you? How your listening habits affect your love life' has been selected as January 2025's showcase. The article was published in The Observer New Review on January 12.
Sophie is a freelance science writer with a particular interest in the life sciences. She recently completed her PhD in evolutionary anthropology.
Our judges said:
Her piece about music and relationships was fun with some serious science, and had great colourful quotes.
Monthly showcase article: November 2024
Sophie Berdugo's article 'Before the Stone Age: Were the first tools made from plants not rocks?' has been selected as November 2024's showcase. The article was published in The New Scientist on November 5.
Sophie is a freelance science writer with a particular interest in the life sciences. She recently completed her PhD in evolutionary anthropology.
Our judges said:
A fascinating feature telling us what humans did before they used stone implements.
Monthly showcase article: October 2024
Tim Gunn's article 'Cancer metabolism: finding how fast-growing cancers get their energy' was published in Cancer News (Cancer Research UK), and has been selected as October 2024's showcase.
Tim Gunn writes and edits for Cancer Research UK's Cancer News website - taking complex science about a scary subject and trying to connect it to life as people experience it.
Our judges said:
A lively and informative deep dive into some fundamental cancer research.
Monthly showcase article: July/August/September 2024
ABSW Member Yemisi Bokinni's article, 'Dementia: Africa’s unique opportunity for prevention amid rising cases' has been selected as the Monthly Showcase for summer 2024. The article was published in The BMJ on September 2.
Yemisi is a writer and media producer with a medical degree and a bachelor’s degree in human genetics from King’s College London. She is also a freelance health journalist contributing to The BMJ.
Our judges said:
A fascinating read about an overlooked crisis.
Monthly showcase article: June 2024
ABSW Member Molly Campbell's article, 'Breaking the Chains: How CRISPR Gene Therapy Gave Victoria Gray a New Life' has been selected as June 2024's showcase. The article was published in Technology Networks on June 28.
Molly is a Senior Science Writer at Technology Networks. She reports on a broad range of scientific topics, covering the latest breaking news and writing long-form pieces for The Scientific Observer. Before joining Technology Networks in 2019, Molly worked as a clinical research associate and freelance science writer.
Our judges said:
Deep dive into the story of one patient turned patient-advocate for gene therapy related to sickle cell disease. Her story showed the human side behind blockbuster science headlines and was written beautifully.
Monthly showcase article: May 2024
ABSW Member Claire Ainsworth's article, 'How ignorance and gender inequality thwart treatment of a widespread illness' has been selected as May 2024's showcase. The article was published in Nature (online) on May 9.
Claire is a freelance science journalist covering biology and biomedicine. She began her career at New Scientist magazine, before joining Nature as a reporter and editor. She has won a number of awards for her writing, including an ABSW award for Best Feature.
Our judges said:
Powerful writing telling the story of a neglected tropical disease through the experiences of the women that suffer from it, and those trying to treat it.
Monthly showcase article: April 2024
ABSW Member Yemisi Bokinni's article, 'Barbados is in the grip of a diabetic foot amputation crisis' has been selected as April 2024's showcase. The article was published in The BMJ on April 11.
Yemisi is a health and science writer and multimedia producer with a medical degree and a bachelor’s degree in human genetics from King’s College London.
Our judges said:
Their story about the high numbers of foot amputations in Barbados was both surprising, disquieting and fascinating.
Monthly showcase article: March 2024
ABSW Member Anna Napolitano's article, 'Ocean plastic could spread human disease' has been selected as March 2024's showcase. The article was published in the China Dialogue Ocean on March 1.
Anna Napolitano is a freelance science journalist mainly writing about life science and things on her radar of interest. She started her journey as a researcher but has always been more interested in talking about science than doing her experiments, so Anna waved goodbye to the bench at the first chance and became a science journalist.
Our judges said:
A really comprehensive look at the extent of the microplastics problem in our marine life.
Monthly showcase article: February 2024
John Whitfield's article "Ant geopolitics", was published in Aeon and has been selected as February 2024's showcase.
John is the opinion editor at Research Professional News. A journalist specialising in science, his writing has appeared in Nature, The London Review of Books and Slate, among others. He is the author of In the Beat of a Heart (2006), People Will Talk: The Hidden Power of Reputation (2011) and Lost Animals: The Story of Extinct, Endangered and Rediscovered Species (2020).
Our judges said:
It is a brilliant and thought-provoking look at societies of ants, one of the most fascinating creatures. Beautifully written and packed with science and history. A must-read.
