Geoscience Communicator.

Geoscience Communicator

Dr Anjana Khatwa

What is your job title?

Geoscience Communicator

What qualifications do you have?

GCSEs, A-Levels, BSc Earth Science, PhD Glacial Geology

What sort of organisation do you work for?

As a geoscience communicator I work in a freelance capacity and I am represented by a Media and a Literary Agent. In the other half of my working life, I work as the Head of Inclusion and Belonging for the National Trust.

What does a Geoscience Communicator do?

As a Geoscience Communicator I use a variety of different approaches to help audiences of all backgrounds engage with the magical stories of the geological world. I have appeared as an expert contributor on numerous television shows since 2008 such as Fossil Detectives, BBC Beach Live and Antiques Roadshow. I have also appeared on BBC Radio 4 shows such as Ramblings with Clare Balding, Free Thinking and Life Without and on podcasts such as Intelligence Squared. Much of this work has come from the publication of my book The Whispers of Rock: Stories from the Earth. It is my first non-fiction book which tells the geological story of how our world was created and places that knowledge alongside Indigenous Science and Global Majority wisdom. I create content for my social media channels where I tend to stick to amazing geological stories either drawn from my book or where I live which is on the Jurassic Coast. One of my videos discussing the chalk that makes chalk streams so special has now reached almost 2 million views on TikTok! The best part of my job is when I have a chance to be on stage where I can deliver lectures and talks that speak to my passion for the geological world. As an experienced presenter and public speaker, I love to see how the audience responds to the stories I share with them and it gives me great joy if they can leave with a new perspective on the world.

What formal qualifications and/or previous work experience did you need to get your job?

To work in the area of public engagement in the geosciences, I needed to have the appropriate qualifications such as a degree and postgraduate qualification in Earth Science. But perhaps more importantly I needed to build experience of how to communicate this content to as broad an audience as possible. I worked as an intern at the US National Park Service in Utah for a year where I learnt the art of telling stories. This helped me to get a role as the Education Co-ordinator at the Jurassic Coast World Heritage Site. I have always had a very curious brain which thinks about science in a different way, and I was able to use these skills in re-interpreting complex geoscience for children and young people.

If this wasn’t your first job after your studies, what did you do in-between?

After my Ph.D. I spent 4 years working in Postdoctoral research at a variety of universities in the USA.

"I love seeing how people shift in their thinking as I reveal the incredible and magical stories of the geological world that they live in"

Apart from formal qualifications, what other skills or characteristcs do you need in your role?

To be an impactful and influential communicator, firstly you need to be extremely confident and comfortable in front of audiences who are critiquing your every word and action. Working in the media, whether that is in publishing or broadcasting, requires meticulous attention to detail and spontaneity especially during live radio or television shows. Alongside this, you also need to present yourself as a clear, warm, authoritative and engaging personality who is able to draw people into a world they may not have previously considered. I was stunned when my book The Whispers of Rock was longlisted for the Royal Society of Literature Ondaatje Prize which recognised excellence in prose that evokes a sense of place. One of the judges, the broadcaster Emma Dabiri said on social media that she loved the book and this testimony shows me we can make geoscience more accessible and engaging to non-specialist audiences.

Have you had a career break or career change?

Yes. In 2011-2012, I took maternity leave for a year to look after my baby. When my child was 6 months old, I suddenly found myself as a lone parent and had to revert to working part-time so I could look after her. In 2020, I decided to shift part of my career towards championing and embedding inclusive practice into the heritage sector due to the challenges I faced working in the field as a woman of colour. I had already contributed to a number of high profile campaigns and organisational activities to champion EDI in the geoscience sector and as a result of that work I won the 2020 National Diversity Award as a Positive Role Model in Race, Faith and Religion. In 2021 I moved to work in the museums sector to lead on engagement and inclusion where I began to learn more about decolonisation practice and reframing how we can discuss histories behind collections that often only offer a single perspective. I was inspired to write my book The Whispers of Rock: Stories from the Earth from these experiences and now work as the Head of Inclusion and Belonging at the National Trust.

Do you travel, either within the UK or overseas, in your role? How often?

I travel extensively for my role as a geoscience communicator either to do research for my writing or for events linked to my book. For example, I am travelling to Namibia later this year on the invitation of a company to present my approaches in how I wrote The Whispers of Rock. As a distinguished lecturer in the field, I am regularly invited to lecture on cruise ships and at universities in the USA.

Do you work a regular length day/week, or are shifts involved?

I tend to restrict this aspect of my work to weekends where I travel to speak at literary and science festivals. On Mondays and Tuesdays, I usually try to write, catch up with emails and respond to readers and fans of my work. On Wednesday, Thursday and Friday I have an incredibly busy and demanding job where I work as the Head of Inclusion and Belonging at the National Trust.

What do you enjoy about your job?

I love seeing how people shift in their thinking as I reveal the incredible and magical stories of the geological world that they live in. One of my biggest frustrations is how geology seems to be forgotten when people discuss the natural world. I genuinely enjoy challenging this and championing how geology and geoscience matters and reframing how people can connect to it.

What advice or extra information do you wish you'd had before starting this career?

That it is going to be a hard space to exist as a woman and also as a person of colour. I wish there had been someone ahead of me to clear the obstacles and barriers and to help me fight against the misogyny and racism. In the end I was forced to do that myself but I think what I have achieved it setting up systems and structures that makes it better for those coming into the science after me.

Do you travel, either within the UK or overseas, in your role? How often?

I travel extensively for my role as a geoscience communicator either to do research for my writing or for events linked to my book. For example, I am travelling to Namibia later this year on the invitation of a company to present my approaches in how I wrote The Whispers of Rock. As a distinguished lecturer in the field, I am regularly invited to lecture on cruise ships and at universities in the USA.

Do you work a regular length day/week, or are shifts involved?

I tend to restrict this aspect of my work to weekends where I travel to speak at literary and science festivals. On Mondays and Tuesdays, I usually try to write, catch up with emails and respond to readers and fans of my work. On Wednesday, Thursday and Friday I have an incredibly busy and demanding job where I work as the Head of Inclusion and Belonging at the National Trust.

What opportunities do you have for developing your skills in your current role?

My book has been critical for opening up huge opportunities to attend literary festivals, radio and TV shows where I can talk about geoscience to audiences who are unfamiliar to this part of the natural world. I have also had opportunities to write for magazines and take part in podcasts. For example, as Head of Inclusion and Belonging at the National Trust, I was able to pitch a piece about geology and landscapes to the National Trust magazine. It had a print run of 5 million copies!

What position would you like to hold in 5 years time?

I love my role as Head of Inclusion and Belonging at the National Trust, so I would be happy to continue doing that. As a Geoscience Communicator - I would love to be working on my second book if I can find the time!

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