Write The Future

ABOUT

Write The Future is a micro-conference organised and curated by the Arthur C. Clarke Award for science fiction literature and the Royal Society, London.

The afternoon is designed as a series of creative short presentations and panels themed around the transformative power of science, technology, communication and the human imagination.

Fast, forward-facing and fantastically futuristic, Write The Future condenses the best bits of a typical two-day conference into a single afternoon of compelling content, inspired by the life and work of science fiction author, inventor and futurist Sir Arthur C. Clarke.

PROGRAMME

Wrangling Shamans, Snake Oil and Science Fiction: Arc Magazine editor Simon Ings and Sumit Paul Choudhury, the man at the helm of New Scientist, juggle notions of truth, accuracy and authenticity as they play out in futurology and science fiction. Panel event with guest authors Jane Rogers and Joanna Kavenna and infrastructural futures researcher Paul Graham Raven. www.arcfinity.org

Kinking Reality and Imagining the Future: Lauren Beukes is an award-winning novelist who also writes comics, screenplays, TV shows and occasionally journalism. Her novel Zoo City won the 2011 Arthur C. Clarke Award and her latest book, The Shining Girls, about a time-travelling serial killer, is due April 25th 2013. www.laurenbeukes.com

Don't Feed the Lizard Brain. Surviving the Social Media Comedown: Molly Flatt is a writer and journalist, Features Editor of PHOENIX magazine, and Word of Mouth Evangelist for 1000heads, the leading global word of mouth agency, where she helps businesses such as Nokia, Skype and Mars harness the power of word of mouth and social media. www.mollyflatt.com

Free Your Words and Your Mind Will Follow. Language as Technology and Ludwig’s Talking Lion: Ben North has worked as a creative in the UK publishing industry for nearly fifteen years, starting at Penguin Books. He is currently Creative Director at HarperCollinsPublishers.

The Bionic City of the Future: Futurist and Design Scientist Melissa Sterry is a champion of technology that serves to make the world a better place. Melissa is Director/Head of Technology at Earth 2 Hub™, which gives new science and technology an immersive media platform, supporting new programmes for change through which to deliver and build a sustainable future. www.earth2hub.com

Botworld. A Printer That Prints Its Own Face, and How The Web Won't Stay Trapped Behind Glass: Matt Webb is CEO and Principal at design consultancy BERG, featured in Fast Company magazine’s annual list of the world’s 50 most innovative companies 2012. http://bergcloud.com

FUTURE NOW: A beginners guide to the cutting edge of scientific research: Presentations by Fellows of the Royal Society, London.

Ocean Acidification: Stories from the Past to Inform the Future. Dr Daniela Schmidt, Royal Society University Research Fellow. Dr Schmidt is currently a Reader in Research at the University of Bristol. Her research focuses on the effect of climate change and ocean acidification on ecology and evolution of marine organisms, focussing on critical transitions in Earth history.

Creating the Visual Illusion of Life-Like Creatures & Characters. Dr Darren Cosker, Royal Society Industry Fellow ANDUniversity of Bath, Department of Computer Science. Dr Cosker is currently a Lecturer at the University of Bath, and also a Royal Society Industry Fellow working with Double Negative Visual Effects (DNeg) in London.

AUDIENCE

If you work in the creative industries, publishing, social media, science communication, advertising or trend forecasting, this is the event for you.

If you're a science fiction writer who wants to know more about new ways to promote your work or the next big thing in science research, this is the place to be.

If you like attending author talks, research presentations, museum and gallery events, science fiction conventions, experimental conferences, listening to new ideas and talking to like-minded people, we'd love to meet you.

TWITTER HASHTAG: #WTF13

www.clarkeaward.com