Spike is shortlisted for the 2022 Royal Society Science Book Prize, sponsored by Insight Investment
About the book
Did the UK government really ‘follow the science’ throughout the Covid-19 pandemic, as it claims?
As head of the Wellcome Trust, Jeremy Farrar was one of the first people in the world to hear about a mysterious new disease in China – and to learn it could readily spread between people. A member of the SAGE emergency committee, Farrar was a key figure in both the UK and the World Health Organization at the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic amid great uncertainty, fast-moving situations and missed opportunities. Spike is his widely acclaimed inside story. His account casts light on the UK government’s claims to be ‘following the science’ and is informed not just by Farrar’s views but by interviews with other top scientists and political figures.
About the authors
Jeremy Farrar is Director of the Wellcome Trust and, as an expert on infectious disease, is a member of the UK government's SAGE committee on Covid-19. He was one of the first people in the world to know about and alert the global community to Covid-19. He will be directing his royalties from SPIKE to charity.
Anjana Ahuja is the Financial Times science columnist and a freelance writer who has covered the coronavirus outbreak extensively since its beginnings in January 2020. She holds a PhD from Imperial College London.
Follow Jeremy (@JeremyFarrar) and Anjana (@anjahuja) on Twitter.
