Friends of Brilliant Poetry
We’re honoured to share what great minds around the globe are saying about Brilliant Poetry.
“The two ways of knowing suddenly become one!"
- Robert Kelly, American Poet.
“Although science and poetry seem to reside in opposing realms, there are significant intersections: both are a means of exploring the inner and outer world. Both impose shape on what seems to be chaotic experiences of life. A call for poetry on the subject of science is a call for celebration."
- Kimiko Hahn, American poet and distinguished professor in the MFA program of Queens College, CUNY.
“Poetry is one of the best ways to get under the skin of scientific advances and to understand what it means for us as humans. What a fantastic initiative to encourage people to engage with science, both as writers and readers."
- Pippa Goldschimdt, British fiction writer.
“Brilliant Poetry's invitation to scientists and poets to find both shared language and shared conversation is an indispensable offering. "We must see with the passion of scientists and the rigor of poets," novelist, poet, and lepidopterist Nabokov once said. Wherever our questions may start from, to navigate, even to name, our current crises and perplexities takes the ways of seeing of both art and science. Observation, objectivity; imagination, empathy, rigorous experimentation, creative invention--all are needed to praise, express, and make sense of this world of rivers and weathers, complex beauties and complex beings."
- Jane Hirshfield, author of The Asking: New & Selected Poems, founder of Poets For Science, elected member American Academy of Arts & Sciences.
“We're living at a time when misinformation and propagandist content are traveling fastest and farthest, largely due to the reach of social media.
We're also witnessing the damage that climate change disasters and disease inflict on people and the environment. Brilliant Poetry's initiative of recognizing poets that merge science and poetry is an important contribution to enlightenment and contemplation about the state of our world."
- Ber Anena, author of A Nation in Labour.
“Science and poetry are like curious siblings exploring the same vast world, each holding pieces of a complex puzzle. Together, they weave a tapestry that draws us closer to understanding the profound mysteries of our existence. This competition is a call to unite these pieces, offering a chance to glimpse the bigger picture."
- Sam Illingworth, Associate Professor, Edinburgh Napier University, co-founder of Brilliant Poetry.
“Because science and poetry are creative endeavors, pursued with passion and zeal, we have poets who write about science and scientists who write poems. 'Brilliant Poetry' invites them both to shine a little brighter."
- Dava Sobel, celebrated writer & Brilliant Poetry judge, 2024.