Ralph Johnstone

Ralph Johnstone is a writer in the traditional mould: a curious researcher, meticulous fact-checker, and conscientious storyteller. In a 30-year career, he has reported for newspapers in the UK, Australia and Hong Kong, edited magazines in Kenya and Japan, and worked for media and marketing companies worldwide. He has written and edited books and reports for UNEP, UNICEF, the European Commission, the World Bank, governments and donors. His great passion is writing about ground-breaking innovations in health and technology, which he has undertaken for AI researchers, biomedical start-ups, universities, research institutes, and telecommunications companies.

Since returning to Australia in 2008, Ralph has worked as a consultant for several PR companies, drafted speeches for three Government Secretaries, and written articles about complex technologies from bushfire mapping and weather satellites, to lab automation, brain imaging, and digital accessibility. He has written websites, product information and grant applications for start-up companies, inventors, makerspaces, social enterprises, and policy think-tanks. He says his greatest pleasure is “promoting products that promote life” – particularly for people with disabilities, the chronically ill, and remote and marginalised communities.

“Sometimes reality is too complex. Stories give it form” – Jean-Luc Godard