A competition celebrating the curiosity and creativity that is sparked by science.
As we reflect on our first The Brilliant Poetry Competition, we feel both proud of our accomplishment and mindful of the challenges and lessons it brought. With 375 entries spanning 36 countries, the competition celebrated the curiosity and creativity that is sparked by science.
Our competition judge Dava Sobel, an acclaimed author known for her ability to weave complex scientific concepts into engaging narratives, brought a thoughtful approach to evaluating the entries. She says she was “happily stunned by the quality of the work”, appreciating the emotional depth with which poets engaged scientific themes.
Dava Sobel was happily stunned by the quality of the work submitted
The competition’s first prize was awarded to Kathryn Spratt for ‘Impressions’, a poem that uses the metaphor of fossils embedded in stone to explore themes of memory, legacy and personal history.
The second prize went to Aileen Cassinetto’s ‘Imagine’, which melds historical and personal timelines to reflect on the relativity of experiences and the impact of scientific breakthroughs.
Third place was won by Sangeetha Balakrishnan, for ‘The Valency of Blue’, which portrays the behaviours of the blue-footed booby, drawing attention to environmental concerns through personal and natural interactions.
These pieces, along with other commendable entries, can be read in full here. As part of our celebration, we are delighted to host The Brilliant Poetry – Inaugural Reading, a virtual showcase of this year’s shortlisted poets. Taking place via Zoom on Thursday, January 30, 2025, from 2:00 to 2:45 pm GMT, the event will feature readings from all ten shortlisted poets, offering a unique opportunity to experience their work in their own voices. Registration is free, and for those unable to attend live, the session will be recorded.
Up next…
This year was just the beginning. We are eager to build on our successes and learn from our experiences to make next year’s poetry competition even more inclusive and far-reaching. We invite everyone – scientists, poets and everyone in between – to share their ideas and help us shape the future of the exciting intersections of science and poetry.
The next competition will launch on UNESCO’s World Poetry Day, Friday, March 21, 2025. Keep an eye on The Brilliant Poetry website, The Brilliant website, our social media channels, and mailing list for full details on how to enter. We look forward to seeing even more voices join this celebration of creativity and science.
Author: Sam Illingworth
Comments are closed.