British author and science communicator Lucy Hawking is visiting South Africa to highlight the importance of getting young people excited about science through stories. She will be in Johannesburg from 11–13 October and in Cape Town from 14–19 October.
Lucy Hawking will visit the Cape Town Science Centre on Monday, 16 October to launch the isiXhosa and isiZulu versions of her book, George’s Secret to the Universe, which she co-authored with her father, Stephen Hawking. It is the first of a series of adventure stories that aim to explain complex science to a young audience through a mix of story and scientific fact. The launch will involve a child-friendly presentation and reading of the English, isiXhosa, and isiZulu versions with the kids. The launch will be followed by an evening talk at the University of Cape Town on Wednesday, 18 October.
ABOUT THE AUTHORS
Lucy Hawking is an author and journalist who works with world-leading scientists to write adventure stories that explain complex science in simple terms to young readers. Lucy has written six books in the George Greenby series. In 2015, she won a grant from the UK Space Agency to create resources for primary school children, called the Principia Space Diary, to encourage engagement with STEM subjects, themed on space travel.
Stephen Hawking is an English theoretical physicist, cosmologist, author and Director of Research at the Centre for Theoretical Cosmology within the University of Cambridge and an author of the multi-million-copy bestselling A Brief History of Time. His scientific works include collaboration with Roger Penrose on gravitational singularity theorems in the framework of general relativity and the theoretical prediction that black holes emit radiation, often called Hawking radiation.
This visit is made possible by Jacana Media, PRAESA, and Little Hands Trust.