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I was born in Hong Kong in 1955 and had a peripatetic childhood as one of five children of an army officer. I went to Ellerslie School in Great Malvern from 1966–73, then to Lady Margaret Hall, Oxford: I graduated in Experimental Psychology in 1976.

I worked briefly for a science publisher before joining New Scientist magazine as a section editor. Soon afterwards I began to present science programmes on BBC Radio 4.

I married David Long in 1981. We settled in Oxford, and our sons Ed and Will were born in 1982 and 1985. Since then I have worked mostly as a freelance writer, editor and broadcaster. From 2000–2007 I edited the Oxford University alumni magazine, Oxford Today.

In 1998 I published my first book, Dorothy Hodgkin: A Life. I have had three further books published: my biography of Max Perutz was released in July 2007, with paperback publication in June 2008.

Recently published:

Max Perutz and the Secret of Life

Chatto & Windus, UK hardback July 2007

NEW paperback published by Pimlico, 1 June 2008

Available on Amazon.co.uk