Scientist and daughter to write children's story

Stephen Hawking says his affliction hasn't prevented him from enjoying family life.

Stephen Hawking, the cosmologist and best-selling author, is to write a children's book with his daughter Lucy who cryptically said yesterday that it would be "a bit like Harry Potter" but without the magic.

Professor Hawking's A Brief History of Time was one of the biggest-selling science books, and he has written an easy-read sequel called A Briefer History of Time.

Lucy said that the forthcoming project would be aimed at children like her 8-year-old son, but declined to name the publisher or publication date.

"It is a story for children which explains the wonders of the universe," is all that she was prepared to say.

Professor Hawking is one of the best-known scientists in the world, and he has even had cameo roles in Star Trek and The Simpsons. Publishers are expected to be excited at the prospect of a children's book on cosmology which even adults should be able to understand.

A Brief History of Time has sold more than 10 million copies since it was first published in 1988, but its difficult subject matter on the origins of time and the universe has earned it a reputation for being the least-read bestseller in history.

Professor Hawking suffers from motor neurone disease, a debilitating condition that has left him almost totally paralysed, but it has not stopped him from making fundamental contributions to cosmology and theoretical physics.

He is the Lucasian Professor of Mathematics at Cambridge University, an academic chair held by Sir Isaac Newton in 1663. His specialist interest is in the physics of black holes, and his academic achievements are even more incredible given his disability which forces him to communicate through a computerised voice synthesiser.

"I have had motor neurone disease for practically all my adult life. Yet it has not prevented me from having a very attractive family and being successful in my work," he once said.

He has three children and one grandchild

He and his daughter are visiting Hong Kong, where Lucy gave the first indication that they are embarking on a joint publishing venture.

Professor Hawking has 12 honorary degrees, was awarded the CBE in 1982, and was made a Companion of Honour in 1989. He is the recipient of many awards, medals and prizes and is a Fellow of The Royal Society and a Member of the US National Academy of Sciences. He conducts extensive research into theoretical physics as well as holding frequent public lectures.

- Independent