Alan Pedder’s Biography
Hi, I'm Alan, music nerd, hat stand and science writer for hire.
I've spent most of my life moving from country to country, most recently living in Istanbul and London. These days I'm based on Öland, a long, narrow island in southeastern Sweden famous for its rare and ancient landscape of vast limestone flats. It still feels like a dream.
I fell into the world of publishing almost by accident in 2003, when as a recovering mathematician I was hired to an editorial role at a London medical publishing house. I went freelance 3 years later to focus more on scientific writing. My specialist areas include oncology, immunology, rheumatology, dermatology, ophthalmology and neuroscience, and I am deeply interested in mental health and HIV research. My work has appeared in leading international medical journals, including New England Journal of Medicine, The Lancet Oncology, and Rheumatology & Therapy. Projects I have contributed to have been winners at the Reuters Pharma Awards, British Medical Association Awards, and more.
I also founded and ran a successful music magazine (Wears The Trousers, 2005–2013) and began to build a journalism portfolio in music, arts and travel. In January 2006, the magazine was chosen for permanent archiving as part of the British Library's digital preservation work, in recognition of its contribution to journalism relating to women and the arts. It was also featured in other magazines, including Music Week and Elle. As editor, I was invited to speak at several events, including the Southbank Centre's annual Women of the World (WOW) festival and the Roundhouse Rising festival in London, among others.
These days I'm a regular contributor to The Line Of Best Fit, the UK's biggest independent website devoted to new music, and branching out in other places too. I've conducted hundreds of musician interviews. I also write bios and press releases – email me for commissions!