FicSci

What forms of writing emerge when writers come face to face with current, proven and socially crucial scientific innovation and research? How might writers speak when they listen to scientists?

FicSci is a three-day workshop event and will include presentations from an invited scientist, social interactions and writing intensives. The workshop happens in mid-July annually.

This workshop will explore these questions by bringing a small number of writers together with a selected scientist each year. Through a facilitated yet experimental programme of listening, learning, discussing, and intensive writing, participants will be offered the space to focus on producing an original text in response to the provocations of an invited scientist. The invited scientist will be announced one month before the workshop.

Participants are free to write whatever they wish in response to the engagements with the scientist: poetry, lyrics, scripts, short or longer fiction, journalistic articles, polemical essays, creative non-fiction, experimental or genre-defying work, and more.

The Convenors of the workshop serve as co-editors for a publication that emerges from the workshop. The shape and form of the publication will be imagined by the convenors in the process, and participants will be invited to co-conceptualise it with us. Participants will be expected to enter into an online editing and review process for three months after the conclusion of the event to prepare their pieces for possible inclusion in the planned publication.

FicSci 01 - flow

The anthology of the inaugural cohort of the Fic Sci workshop is now out! Titled flow, the anthology includes essays, short stories, poetry and articles on different aspects of fluid mechanics. A special thank you to Professor Malebogo Ngoepe for sharing her knowledge which sparked the creativity that flows through every page of the anthology. The writers are:

flow can be accessed for free here. A print copy of the anthology can also be ordered.

FicSci 02 - night_sky

The anthology of the second cohort of the FicSci workshop is now out! Titled night_sky, the anthology is inspired by cutting-edge research on the night sky and explores topics such as X-ray binary stars, extra-galactic sources, and the Magellanic Clouds. A special thank you to Professor Tana Joseph for sharing her knowledge which sparked the creativity that eclipe through every page of the anthology. The writers are:

night_sky can be accessed for free here. A print copy of the anthology can also be ordered.

FicSci 03 - sea_ice

The anthology of the third cohort of the FicSci workshop is now out! Titled sea_ice, the anthology invited contemplation of scientific aspects of the properties, formation and behaviour of sea ice, especially in the Southern Ocean. A special thank you to Dr Tokoloho Rampai, whose expertise sent creative currents surging through every page. The writers are:

sea_ice can be accessed for free here. A print copy of the anthology can also be ordered.

FicSci 04 - rock_time (Forthcoming)

The anthology of the third cohort of the FicSci workshop is in production! Titled rock_time, the anthology invited contemplation of scientific aspects of rock formation, fossils, and cave exploration in the context of deep geological time. A special thank you to Dr Tebogo Makhubela, the invited scientist for FicSci 04. The invited writers featured in the anthology are:

FicSci 05 - July 2026

The fifth and penultimate FicSci workshop will take place in July 2026. The invited scientist and invited writers will be posted here after the workshop is complete.

FicSci 06 - July 2027

The sixth and final FicSci workshop will take place in July 2027. Follow our social media pages to be informed when applications will open.

Convenors:
Prof Mehita Iqani (SARChI Science Communication), Stellenbosch University
Dr Wamuwi Mbao (English Literary Studies), Stellenbosch University

FicSci

FicSci

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