SciPo - TORCH Network
This network was funded from 2019 to 2021.
The SciPo Network builded on the annual one-day conference, SciPo, established at St Hilda’s college by Emeritus Fellow in Biology Sarah Watkinson, and poet Jenny Lewis of The Poet’s House Oxford. This New Network, with core organisers Elsa Hammond, Jenny Lewis and Sarah Watkinson, aimed to offer young humanities researchers ways to work with new audiences, forging links between scientists, creative writers and musicians, as well as literary studies academics with important contributions to make to the representation of science in poetry across the ages.
Now in its fifth year, SciPo explored the creative common ground between science and poetry. Established poets read and discuss their work with more than 50 participants from across the university and wider public. The 2019 theme was ‘Plants, Brain and Imagination’, with poets Adam Horovitz, Frances Leviston and Michael Simmons Roberts reading and discussing their work at St Hilda’s on 8th June. Watch an account of their discussion by Romola Parish here.
Associated seminars, engaging the broader community of researchers and writers on ecopoetics and climate change poetics, were held at TORCH in Trinity Term 2019, and poetry writing workshops have been arranged throughout the year at Wytham Woods (May), The Botanic Garden (September), and the University Museum (December).
Publications include podcasts of events, and poetry anthologies. The first, ‘Haunted by Cycles of Return’ edited by Elsa Hammond, contains work from the 2018 SciPo on Climate Change, including poems by Carrie Etter and Philip Gross, as well as competition winners, was published in summer 2019. An anthology from SciPo 2019 on ‘Plants, Brain and Imagination’ is in preparation.
Other SciPo themes include ‘Mind and Brain’ t in 2020 by Jenny Lewis and Lucy Newlyn, with the SciPo conference taking place. In 2021 the theme ‘Breathing’ was planned. Each of these themes has grown out of the interdisciplinary connections between our members’ research, and projected collaborations.
Contacts:
Elsa Hammond, Jenny Lewis, Adam Horovitz, Denni Turp, Stephen Wren, Inge Milfull, Jules Whiting, Margot Myers, Miranda Lynn Barnes, Sarah Watkinson, Rosemary Appleton, Isaiah Ambssa Robinson-Lewis, Dorothy Yamamoto, Beth McDonough, Romola Parish.
- Elsa Hammond curated the launch of the ‘Science of the Seas’ anthology and readings from contributors to the anthology.
- Results of the ‘Birdsong’ Competition were announced by competition judge, David Morley. David read his judge’s report and followed by readings by the winner and runner-up.
- Sarah Watkinson and Jenny Lewis thanked all who have made SciPo such a great success, including St Hilda’s and TORCH, David Morley and all our past guests, competition judges and participants.
- Closing words by Stephen Wren announcing his intention to take up the SciPo baton by developing (and leading on) a new science and poetry initiative.
- Sudeep Sen, Poet read from his new book Anthropocene
- Jane Draycott, Forward Prize short-listed SciPo competition judge read from her new collection The Kingdom
- Sarah Watkinson, Oxford-based plant scientist and poet read from her new collection, Photovoltaic.
- Event introduced by Jenny Lewis of the Poet's House, Oxford.
