The Association of British Science Writers (ABSW), the Royal Institution (Ri) and the BBC have awarded the 2024 Young Science Writer of the Year Award to Jasmin Notarangelo from East Lothian.
The announcement follows a rigorous judging process in which a record-breaking 337 essays, submitted by 14-16 year-old students at state funded schools throughout the UK, were reviewed by a panel of professional science writers and communicators.
Jasmin, from Musselburgh Grammar School was awarded the title for her essay, 'Are Insulin Pumps the Future of Type 1 Diabetes Management?', which stood out to the judges as an exceptional piece of investigative journalism. Jasmin's writing highlighted the inequities within the NHS and the barriers to diabetes care, showcasing her commitment to in-depth research and impactful storytelling.
Jasmin will be honoured at an awards ceremony at the Ri on June 24th, when she will become the latest researcher to reveal her findings in the Ri’s iconic Theatre.
Along with her title, she will receive £1000 to further develop her writing skills; her essay will be published by the BBC, and she will enjoy a unique opportunity to spend a day at BBC Science HQ in Cardiff, alongside senior science journalists.
Katherine Mathieson, Director of the Royal Institution, said: “At the Ri, we are passionate about enabling science to be shared in engaging ways. So we are delighted to see such well-researched, authoritative and high-quality science writing among the young people who entered.”
Alex O’Brien, vice-chair of the ABSW, said: “I was really proud of all the students. The record-breaking number who entered this year, delivered such high quality of work they made it really tough for us to create a shortlist and then even tougher to pick a winner from it.”
The Award judges also recognised two runners-up. Anna Joby of The Swan School in Oxford impressed with her essay, 'The Negative Effects of Light Pollution,' noted for its engaging writing style and well-sourced content; while Lissie Marsh of The Compton School in Barnet earned praise for her essay, 'The Unseen Consequences of the Overuse of Tyres,' which offered a unique perspective on the global issue of microplastics through thorough research.
Both runners-up will receive £250 to support their continued development in science writing. The winner and runners-up will also receive a one-year Ri Young Membership and see their work published on the Ri website.
The judges also highly commended the work of 10 further competition entrants, whose essays covered a wide range of topics from AI's potential to transform healthcare to the dangers of sleep deprivation: Aaila Ahmed, Aaron Rae, Cerys Davies, Eimaan Khan, Fatima Jamula, Harrison Alexander, Jumana Al-Shibaany, Miranda Hume, Phoebe McIntosh, and Rimzim Baser.
2023 Young Science Writer of the Year, Richael Forson, pictured in the Ri Theatre with BBC correspondent Victoria Gill.
Running for its third year since being established by the ABSW and the Ri in 2022, the Young Science Writer of the Year Award was open to teenagers at non-selective, state-funded schools throughout the UK.
The 2024 awards ceremony will take place at The Royal Institution on June 24th at 1 pm.