Zara self-publishes book on astronomy

We caught up with Zara K., a Year 13 student who has recently self-published a book on astronomy for part of her Extended Project Qualification (EPQ).

What made you decide to publish a book?

I was originally set on doing a completely different idea for my EPQ however, when I realised this wasn't possible, I decided to produce something physics related. I wanted to write and publish a book as it seemed exciting and something new, and then decided to incorporate this with my interest in physics. 

Why did you decide to choose this topic?

I wanted to produce a short summary of the history of Astronomy/ Astrophysics along with a few major discoveries, as I wanted to make something accessible to anyone that explains intriguing phenomena in just a short read.

What most interests you about this topic?

I am really interested in the idea of dark matter and energy, the theories that they inspired and the mystery surrounding these ideas, the topics of the curvature of spacetime and general relativity also fascinate me. These ideas all really interest me as they express a world and universe so different from the one that we are used to experiencing and I find this amazing. 

Tell me what the most interesting, and most difficult, parts of writing and publishing the book were?

One of the most interesting yet challenging aspects of writing the book were producing the diagrams. I went through many different ideas on how to do this eventually settling with Corel draw. I found it very interesting learning how to use and adapt this to produce the diagrams for my book.

What advice would you give to other budding young writers?

I'm not really a writer, however I would say to just go for it and write anything on any topic down as you never know what might come of it!

Did a St Mary’s education inspire you to study STEM?

I have always been interested in the sciences due to the constant discoveries and intriguing ideas however, in St Mary's I have been encouraged to pursue this path and develop my understanding and interest further. I have attended many clubs throughout the years which have inspired me to continue developing my knowledge in this field.