Crime writer and Ted Lasso star join judging panel for 2025 Royal Society Trivedi Science Book Prize

“The best science writing satisfies curiosity we didn't even know we had and better equips us for not just surviving but also enjoying the world around us.” - Val McDermid, 2025 judge

Best-selling crime fiction author, Val McDermid, and TV actor and comedian, Nick Mohammed, join the judging panel for the 2025 Royal Society Science Book Prize, supported by the Trivedi Family Foundation.

They join panel chair, Dr Sandra Knapp, Royal Society Fellow and botanist at the National History Museum; Dr Amy Bonsor, Associate Professor of Astronomy at University of Cambridge and Royal Society University Research Fellow; Roma Agrawal, structural engineer on the Shard and former Royal Society Trivedi Science Book Prize shortlisted author for her book Nuts and Bolts; and Jacob Aron, news editor at New Scientist.

Founded in 1988, the Prize celebrates the best popular science writing from across the globe, championing non-fiction books that use captivating narratives to open up science to a wider audience and embody the joy of science writing.

Recent winners have flown us to Mars to question whether it would be feasible for humans to settle in space (A City on Mars by Kelly and Zach Weinersmith, 2024), revealed hidden realms experienced through the unique senses of other animals (An Immense World by Ed Yong, 2023), and taken us on a whistle stop tour through the history of our home planet (A (Very) Short History of Life on Earth: 4.6 billion years in 12 chapters by Henry Gee, 2022).

The Prize has worked with many eminent judges over its 38-year history, among them Ian McEwan, Terry Pratchett, Monica Ali, Naomi Alderman, David Attenborough and Tracy Chevalier.

In 2025, the judges – brought together from the worlds of science and culture – will reaffirm the need for inspiring and engaging science writing in their search for the most captivating title from the past twelve months.

Chair of the 2025 judging panel, Dr Sandra Knapp FRS, said: “I am honoured to be a part of this stellar cast of judges to find the year’s best popular science book that I hope will capture readers’ imaginations and fuel their curiosity about our own and other worlds.

“At this unique time in history where science is increasingly under threat on a global scale, it is more important than ever to remind ourselves of the joy science and storytelling can bring, the worlds they can open to us, and the ways in which a good science story can captivate and connect us all.”

Crime writer and judge on this year’s Royal Society Science Book Prize, Val McDermid, said: “The best writing is always fuelled by curiosity, and that in turn makes for the most satisfying reading. The best science writing satisfies curiosity we didn't even know we had and better equips us for not just surviving but also enjoying the world around us. As a writer of fiction, science has often inspired my storytelling; I love it when my 'wow!' response is reflected back at me by my readers.”

A shortlist of six titles, selected from a total of 236 submissions, will be announced on 12 August at the Edinburgh International Book Festival. The winner of the 2025 Prize will be revealed at a ceremony on 1 October at the Royal Society. The winner will receive a cheque for £25,000, with £2,500 awarded to each of the five shortlisted authors.

Ashok Trivedi, President of the Trivedi Family Foundation, said: “Where science and literature unite, they form a catalyst for curiosity and exploration, inspiring discussion, challenging us with new ideas, but also allowing us to better understand the world around us. This is the power of good science writing, and I look forward to seeing what this year’s shortlisted authors have in store.”