"It was people telling the big mathematical stories that made me realise at school that there was much more to maths than simple long division," says Marcus du Sautoy, mathematician author of the best-selling book The music of the primes. Telling these stories is what Plus is all about, but there are not many other publications like Plus that spread the message, and public awareness of maths is still low. The future — and the present — needs more good science writers that can bring mathematics to life and give it the profile it deserves in the main stream media.

This is why we are very proud to launch the first Plus new writers award. The competition is open to new writers of any age and from any background who can explain a mathematical topic or application they think the public needs to know about. The winning entries will be read by an audience of over a hundred thousand in the December issue of Plus, and winners also receive an iPod and signed copies of popular maths books by some of the best science writers today.

Download the competition poster for your university, school or work place!

Winners will be chosen from two categories, one for secondary school students and one for the general public. Competition judges are Marcus du Sautoy, John D. Barrow, director of the Millennium Mathematics Project, Cambridge professor and author of many successful books and plays on mathematics, and Helen Joyce, ex-editor of Plus and now a correspondent for the Economist. The competition closes September 30th, 2006.

So, if you have a favourite bit of maths that you'd like to tell the world about, then download your entry pack now and get writing! Whether you're a school student, undergraduate, postgraduate, academic, teacher, or just someone with a passion for maths, this is your chance to be a Plus author and open a window on the world of maths, with all its beauty and applications.