The Element In The Room out this autumn

Two-thirds of The Festival of the Spoken Nerd are to release a comedy science book this autumn.

The group have also been commissioned to make a second series of their Radio 4 show Domestic Science – and have announced a tour for the second half of 2017.

Comedian Helen Arney and science presenter Steve Mould have penned The Element In The Room: Science-y Stuff Staring You In The Face, the first title from the Spoken Nerd team. Described as a ‘rib-tickling, experiment-fuelled and irreverent adventure to explain the elements of science that other books ignore’, the book will be published by Cassell Illustrated in October.

The company, part of the Octopus Publishing Group, won the rights after what was described as ‘a hotly contested auction’.

Commissioning editor Romilly Morgan said: ‘I’ve never met a pair of authors who have electrified me quite so much. Both with their high-octane scientific communication and writing skills and also because they decided to pass a live electric current through me at our sales conference.’

Arney added:  ‘I’m stratospherically excited about turning Festival of the Spoken Nerd into a compressed wood pulp format, stacked full of hands-on experiments and unusual science hiding in our everyday surroundings. 

‘With the many-tentacled skills of Romilly and the Octopus team, I'm sure that young-at-heart geeks will enjoy The Element In The Room.’

Moulded added: ‘Waffling about science is my absolute favourite thing to do. I usually do it live or in video format. But if I can write it down instead, and persuade someone to print it out thousands of times and distribute it, then I can sit at home and let the waffle take care of itself. Octopus is that someone.’

The news comes as the Nerds – which also includes mathematician Matt Parker – announce an autumn tour entitled You Can’t Polish A Nerd. The dates are here.

Last year, the trio appeared on QI, presented their own Radio 4 programme Domestic Science, which has been commissioned to return in 2018, toured their stand-up science show to over 15,000 people.

Click here to preorder The Element In The Room: Science-y Stuff Staring You In The Face from Foyles.

Published: 21 Jun 2017