
Craig Cormick is an Australian science communicator and author. He was born in
Wollongong
Wollongong ( ), colloquially referred to as The Gong, is a city located in the Illawarra region of New South Wales, Australia. The name is believed to originate from the Dharawal language, meaning either 'five islands/clouds', 'ground near w ...
in 1961, and is known for his creative writing and social research into public attitudes towards new technologies. He has lived mainly in
Canberra, but has also lived in
Iceland
Iceland ( is, Ísland; ) is a Nordic island country in the North Atlantic Ocean and in the Arctic Ocean. Iceland is the most sparsely populated country in Europe. Iceland's capital and largest city is Reykjavík, which (along with its ...
(1980–81) and
Finland
Finland ( fi, Suomi ; sv, Finland ), officially the Republic of Finland (; ), is a Nordic country in Northern Europe. It shares land borders with Sweden to the northwest, Norway to the north, and Russia to the east, with the Gulf of Bo ...
(1984–85). He has published over 40 books of fiction and non-fiction, and numerous articles in refereed journals. He has been active in the Canberra writing community, teaching and editing, was Chair of the ACT Writers Centre from 2003 to 2008 and in 2006 was Writer in Residence at the
University of Science in
Penang, Malaysia
Penang ( ms, Pulau Pinang, is a Malaysian state located on the northwest coast of Peninsular Malaysia, by the Malacca Strait. It has two parts: Penang Island, where the capital city, George Town, is located, and Seberang Perai on the Malay P ...
.
Cormick's creative writing has appeared in most of Australia's literary journals including ''
Southerly'', ''
Westerly'', ''
Island
An island or isle is a piece of subcontinental land completely surrounded by water. Very small islands such as emergent land features on atolls can be called islets, skerries, cays or keys. An island in a river or a lake island may be ...
'', ''
Meanjin
''Meanjin'' (), formerly ''Meanjin Papers'' and ''Meanjin Quarterly'', is an Australian literary magazine. The name is derived from the Turrbal word for the spike of land where the city of Brisbane is located. It was founded in 1940 in Brisban ...
,'' ''The Phoenix Review'', ''
Overland'', ''Scarp'', ''4W'', ''Redoubt'', ''Block'', as well as in overseas publications including ''Silverfish New Writing'' (Malaysia) and ''Foreign Literature No 6'' (China). He has previously been an editor of the radical arts magazine ''Blast'', and his writing awards include the ACT Book of the Year Award in 1999 a
Queensland Premier's Literary Award
The Queensland Premier's Literary Awards were an Australian suite of literary awards inaugurated in 1999 and disestablished in 2012. It was one of the most generous suites of literary awards within Australia, with $225,000 in prize money across ...
in 2006, a
Victorian Community History Award in 2015, th
ACT Writing and Publishing Awardin 2015 and th
Tasmanian Writers' Prizein 2016.
As a science communicator he has worked for the
CSIRO
The Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) is an Australian Government agency responsible for scientific research.
CSIRO works with leading organisations around the world. From its headquarters in Canberra, CSIRO ...
,
Questacon
Questacon – The National Science and Technology Centre is an interactive science communication facility in Canberra, Australia. It is a museum with more than 200 interactive exhibits relating to science and technology. It has many science p ...
and the
Department of Industry, Innovation and Science
The Department of Industry, Science, Energy and Resources was a department of the Australian Government responsible for consolidating the Government’s efforts to drive economic growth, productivity and competitiveness by bringing together indu ...
, and has represented the Australian Government at many international science forums including
Apec
The Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC ) is an inter-governmental forum for 21 member economies in the Pacific Rim that promotes free trade throughout the Asia-Pacific
Asia-Pacific (APAC) is the part of the world near the western Pac ...
and
OECD
The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD; french: Organisation de coopération et de développement économiques, ''OCDE'') is an intergovernmental organisation with 38 member countries, founded in 1961 to stimulate ...
conferences, presenting on issues relating to public concerns about new technologies. In 2013 he was awarded th
Unsung Hero of Science Communicationsby th
Australian Science Communicators Since 2019 he has been serving on the Advisory Board on Education and Outreach to the Nobel Prize Winnin
Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons
Cormick was awarded the
Medal of the Order of Australia
The Order of Australia is an honour that recognises Australian citizens and other persons for outstanding achievement and service. It was established on 14 February 1975 by Elizabeth II, Queen of Australia, on the advice of the Australian Go ...
(OAM) in the
2021 Queen's Birthday Honours "service to science, and to the community".
Literary career
Craig Cormick went on to study journalism and creative writing at the
University of Canberra
The University of Canberra (UC) is a public research university with its main campus located in Bruce, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory. The campus is within walking distance of Westfield Belconnen, and from Canberra's Civic Centre. UC ...
– both areas which he continues to work in – with stints at the
Canberra School of Art
The Australian National University (ANU) is a public research university located in Canberra, the capital of Australia. Its main campus in Acton encompasses seven teaching and research colleges, in addition to several national academies and i ...
, the University of Iceland and
Helsinki University
The University of Helsinki ( fi, Helsingin yliopisto, sv, Helsingfors universitet, abbreviated UH) is a public research university located in Helsinki, Finland since 1829, but founded in the city of Turku (in Swedish ''Åbo'') in 1640 as the R ...
. He returned to the University of Canberra to study languages, public relations and sociology, undertake a Masters in Communications and then completed a PhD in Creative Communications at
Deakin University
Deakin University is a public university in Victoria, Australia. Founded in 1974, the university was named after Alfred Deakin, the second Prime Minister of Australia.
Its main campuses are in Melbourne's Burwood suburb, Geelong Waurn P ...
in 2007.
His first books were self-published or picked up by small presses until
Unwritten Histories' was published by
Aboriginal Studies Press
The Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies (AIATSIS), established as the Australian Institute of Aboriginal Studies (AIAS) in 1964, is an independent Australian Government statutory authority. It is a collecting, ...
in 1998. The book subsequently won the ACT Book of the Year Award and received praising reviews. His work has a strong sense of satire, across themes that include exploration, isolation, duality and
Ned Kelly
Edward Kelly (December 1854 – 11 November 1880) was an Australian bushranger, outlaw, gang leader and convicted police-murderer. One of the last bushrangers, he is known for wearing a suit of bulletproof armour during his final shootout wi ...
(who appears at least once in each of his eight short story collections). He has written and published, on average, one book a year since 1998, including collections of short fiction, novels and non-fiction.
He has published scholarly articles on public attitudes to new technologies in publications including: ''NanoEthics'', the ''International Journal of Biotechnology'' ''Agricultural Science'', ''Historia Ciencias Saude'' (Brazil) and ''
Choices
A choice is the range of different things from which a being can choose. The arrival at a choice may incorporate motivators and models. For example, a traveler might choose a route for a journey based on the preference of arriving at a giv ...
'' (USA). He also authored the Australian Government reports, ''Cloning Goes to the Movies'', and ''What you really need to know about what the public really thinks about GM foods''.
In 2008 he fulfilled "a life's dream"
[A Voyage Around Mawson, The Canberra Times, 18 June 2010.] and travelled to
Antarctica
Antarctica () is Earth's southernmost and least-populated continent. Situated almost entirely south of the Antarctic Circle and surrounded by the Southern Ocean, it contains the geographic South Pole. Antarctica is the fifth-largest co ...
as an Antarctic Arts Fellow, visiting the three Australian stations on the continent,
Casey,
Davis
Davis may refer to:
Places Antarctica
* Mount Davis (Antarctica)
* Davis Island (Palmer Archipelago)
* Davis Valley, Queen Elizabeth Land
Canada
* Davis, Saskatchewan, an unincorporated community
* Davis Strait, between Nunavut and Green ...
and
Mawson
Sir Douglas Mawson OBE FRS FAA (5 May 1882 – 14 October 1958) was an Australian geologist, Antarctic explorer, and academic. Along with Roald Amundsen, Robert Falcon Scott, and Sir Ernest Shackleton, he was a key expedition leader dur ...
, publishing his experiences as
In Bed with Douglas Mawson: Travels around Antarctica', in 2011, which merges his two interests of science and creative writing.
In 2014 and 2015 he published the acclaimed
the Shadow Master' series with ''
Angry Robot books'', in the US and UK, as was a guest author at th
Convergencefan convention in Minneapolis, and at WorldCon in Helsinki in 2018. In 2015 he also took part i
the Yale Writers Conference
Writing awards
* 2022 Winner of the Special Book Award from 2020 as a part of the ACT Notable Awards 2022 fo
* 2022 – Shortlisted for an Aurealis Award for Science Fiction Novella
The Cruise to the End of the World* 2020 – Winner of the Roly Susses Short Story Prize for the Lost Journal of Edmund Kennedy.
* 2019 Winner of the ACT Writing and Publishing Awards - non-fiction, fo
'' Backseat Drivers'' 2018.
* 2019 - Shortlisted for the ACT Writing and Publishing Awards - fiction fo
Years of the Wolf 2018.
* 2019 Shortlisted for a
Victorian Community History Award, fo
'' Backseat Drivers'' 2018.
* 2019 - Shortlisted for a
Aurealis Awardfor Best Horror Book fo
Years of the Wolf 2018.
* 2016 - Winner of th
Tasmanian Writers' Prize2016.
* 2015 – Winner of a
Victorian Community History Award, fo
Ned Kelly under the Microscope 2015.
* 2015 – Winner of th
ACT Writing and Publishing Awardfor
Uncle Adolf'' 2015.
* 2010 – Shortlisted for th
ACT Writing and Publishing Awardsfor
Futures Trading'' 2010.
* 2006 – Winner o
Queensland Premier’s Awardfor
A Funny Thing Happened at 27,000 Feet' (
Steele Rudd Award
The Queensland Premier's Literary Awards were an Australian suite of literary awards inaugurated in 1999 and disestablished in 2012. It was one of the most generous suites of literary awards within Australia, with $225,000 in prize money across ...
for a collection of short fiction).
* 2004 – Short-listed for a
Queensland Premier's Award for
the Princess of Cups' (
Steele Rudd Award
The Queensland Premier's Literary Awards were an Australian suite of literary awards inaugurated in 1999 and disestablished in 2012. It was one of the most generous suites of literary awards within Australia, with $225,000 in prize money across ...
for a collection of short fiction).
* 2000 – Second Prize in the Age Short Story Contest.
* 2000 – Second Prize in the University of Canberra Short Story contest.
* 2000 – Nominated for ACT Artist of the Year.
* 1999 –
ACT Book of the Year Award for
Unwritten Histories', 1998.
* 1999 – Highly commended in the Victorian Fellowship of Australian Writers Jim Hamilton Award.
* 1998 – First Prize in the Max Harris Literary Awards.
* 1998 – First Prize in the Arts West Writing Competition.
* 1998 – Second Prize in the Not the Premier's Literary Award.
* 1998 – Second Prize in the R Carson Gold Short Story Competition.
* 1998 – Shortlisted for the ANU/Anutech short story award.
* 1997 – Canberra Critics Circle award for literature.
* 1995 – Shortlisted for the ANU/Anutech short story award.
* 1996 – Highly commended in the National Book Council Award.
* 1993 – Shortlisted for th
Australian-Vogel Awardfor
Of One Blood.'
Works
Books published
''Archangel'' Merino Press, .
*
The Twilight of the Time Vandals'' Merino Press, .
*
', Big Sky Publishing, .
* ''[https://www.simonandschuster.com.au/books/What-If-Histories-of-Australia/Craig-Cormick/9781922615763#:~:text=The%20What%20If%20histories%20of,that%20history%20could%20have%20taken. What If History of Australia: Colonial Settlement: France vs Britain]'', Big Sky Publishing, .
*
The Cruise to the End of the World', Merino Press, .
*
On A Barbarous Coastwith Harold Ludwick),'
Allen and Unwin 2020. .
*
The Science of Communicating Science'
CSIRO Publishing 2019. .
*
Years of the Wolf'
IFWG Australia 2018. . (Shortlisted for an Aurealis Award for Best Horror Book).
*
Backseat Drivers'
Ginninderra Press 2018. . (Shortlisted for a Victorian Community History Award).
*
The Seven Voyages of Captain Cook'
Dimension 6, coeur de lion 2017. . (Shortlisted for a 2017 Aurealis Award - Best Anthology).
*
Valdur the Viking and the Ghostly Goths'
Ford Street Publishing 2016. .
*
The Floating City'
Angry Robot Books 2015. .
*
'' CSIRO Publishing, 2014. (Winner of a Victorian Community History Award, 2015) .
*
The Shadow Master'
Angry Robot Books 2014. .
* ''Uncle Adolf,'' Ginninderra Press, 2014. (Winner of an ACT Publishing Award, 2015). .
*
(''Children's book), New Frontier, 2014. .
* ''Time Vandals''
Scholastic Australia 2012. .
* ''Shipwrecks of the Southern Seas''
Murdoch Books 2011. .
* ''In Bed with Douglas Mawson''
New Holland Press 2011. .
* ''Futures Trading''
Mockingbird Press 2009.
Shortlisted for the ACT Writing and Publishing Awards 2010 .
* ''The Last Super: The creation and recreation of Alexander Pearce, the 'cannibal convict' of Van Diemen's Land,'
Lambert Academic Publishing 2009. .
* ''Of One Blood''
Australian Booksellers Association 2007.
As a manuscript, shortlisted for the Australian-Vogel Award in 1993, the National Book Council Award in 1996 and the Victorian Fellowship of Australian Writers Jim Hamilton Award in 1999 .
* ''The Prince of Frogs''
Mockingbird Press 2007. /
* ''A Funny Thing Happened at 27,000 feet...''
Mockingbird Press 2005.
Winner of the Queensland Premier's Award – Steel Rudd Award for short fiction, 2006 .
* ''The Princess of Cups''
Mockingbird Press 2003.
Short-listed for the Queensland Premier's Award Steel Rudd Award, 2004 .
* ''DIG: the Unwritten History of Burke and Wills''
Ginninderra Press 2002. .
* ''The Queen of Aegea''
Mockingbird Press 2001. .
* ''When Angels Call'', [Short fiction by Craig Cormick, Poetry by Hal Judge and illustrations by Steve Harrison), Aberrant Genotype Press, 2001. .
* ''Kurikka's Dreaming''
Simon and Schuster 2000. [*featured o
ABC Radio National's Australia Talks Books May 2001]. .
* ''The King of Patagonia''
Mockingbird Press 1999. .
* ''Unwritten Histories''
Aboriginal Studies Press 1998.
Winner of the 1999 ACT Chief Minister's Book of the Year Award .
* ''Pimplemania''
MacMillan Educational 1997. .
Books edited
* ''Snapshots'', Oak Publications, Malaysia, 2006. .
* Co-editor of ''Meeting of Muses''
Mockingbird Press 2003. .
* Co-editor of ''The Circulatory System''
Mockingbird Press 2001. .
* Co-editor of ''Time Piece''s
Mockingbird Press 1999.
Commended in the Victorian FAW Community Writer's Award, 1999 .
* ''Protesting the Testing: Canberra Writers Speak Out Against Nuclear Testing in the Pacific'', 1995, (Left Book Club (ACT) and PEN (ACT)). .
Academic publications
*Cormick. C., Nielssen. O., Ashworth. P., La Salle. J., & Saab. C.
What Do Science Communicators Talk About When They Talk About Science Communications? Engaging With the Engagers ''Science Communication'' 37(2):274-282.
*Cormick. C., and Romanach, L.
Segmentation studies provide insights to better understanding attitudes towards science and technology ''Trends in Biotechnology''
Volume 32, Issue 3 March 2014, Pages 114–116.
* Cormick.C., and Hunter. S.
Valuing Values: Better Public Engagement on Nanotechnology Demands a Better Understanding of the Diversity of the Publics ''NanoEthics'', April 2014, Volume 8, Issue 1, pp 57–71.
* Ten Big Questions on Public Engagement on Science and Technology: Observation from a Rocky Boat in the Upstream and Downstream of Engagement, in DEMESCI – the International Journal of Deliberative Mechanisms in Science,
', Volume 1, number 1, August 2012.
* The Complexity of Public Engagement, in Nature Nanotechnology,
', February 2012.
* Why Do We Need to Know What the Public Thinks about Nanotechnology?
NanoEthics', August 2009.
* Piecing Together the Elephant: Public Engagement on Nanotechnology Challenges’,
Science and Engineering Ethics', Volume 15 Number 3, 2009.
* What do the Public Really Think and Who do they Really Trust, in ''Human Biotechnology and Public Trust''
Centre for Law and Genetics, University of Tasmania 2008.
* Public Attitudes Towards GM Crops and Foods,
Agricultural Science', Volume 21, No 2 – September 2007.
* A clonagem vai ao cinema, Historia Ciencias Saude,
Manghinhos', Brazil, Volume 13, October 2006.
* Lies Deep Fries and Statistics,
', USA. 2005.
* Perceptions of Risk Relating to Biotechnology in Australia,
International Journal of Biotechnology'. Vol 5, No 2, 2003.
* Recent Changes in Public Attitudes Towards Biotechnology in Australia,
', Vol.15 (2), September 2002.
* Australian Attitudes to GM Foods and Crops,
Pesticide Outlook', Royal Society of Chemistry, December 2002.
References
External links
New Holland Publishers: Craig Cormick biography/photoVerity LA: An interview with Craig Cormickwith
Margaret Throsby
Margaret Ellen Throsby AM, (born 1941) is an Australian radio and television broadcaster. She is known for having interviewed thousands of notable people for Australian Broadcasting Corporation radio programs.
Early life
Margaret Ellen Thros ...
{{DEFAULTSORT:Cormick, Craig
Australian science writers
Living people
People from Canberra
1961 births
Recipients of the Medal of the Order of Australia