A Sonnet to Science: Scientists and Their Poetry

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A Sonnet to Science presents an account of six ground-breaking scientists who also wrote poetry. From Ada Lovelace and James Clerk Maxwell to Miroslav Holub and Rebecca Elson, this book explores the extent to which poetry influenced and inspired their scientific achievements and in doing so considers how science and poetry offer complementary, rather than antagonistic, viewpoints to understanding the world and the way in which we live. Sam Illingworth has identified a selection of poetry, contextualising it within the work and research of its famous author, in an eff ort to better understand how poetry might be used as an effective tool in both the advancement of science and the way it is communicated today.

Written by an expert at the forefront of the intersections between science and poetry, A Sonnet to Science presents an aspirational account of how these two disciplines can work together, and in doing aims to inspire both current and future generations of scientists and poets that these worlds are not mutually exclusive, but rather complementary in nature.

'Illingworth offers six beautifully wrought biographies - finding humour, lyricism and humanity in the lives and work of these six scientist-poets.' Alice Roberts, presenter of Digging for Britain, Coast and Time Team

'This excellent book is a creative collision of Hadron-like proportion, scattering fragments of intellectual curiosity, fluency and unpretentiousness across every page.' Lemn Sissay, MBE

'Hard to put down! A fascinating book full of comprehensive biographies showing the development of and influences on the poet scientist, illustrated with generous amounts of poetry!' Dame Jocelyn Bell Burnell

Reviews

'A wonderfully eclectic and uplifting collection celebrating how some of the most remarkable stories of scientific endeavour are fuelled by poetic imagining, and revealing how the gaps between well-worn facts are often infused with things poetical. Great stuff!' Iain Stewart, Professor of Geoscience Communication, Director, Sustainable Earth Institute, University of Plymouth and Presenter on BBC Science
'Illingworth offers six beautifully wrought biographies - finding humour, lyricism and humanity in the lives and work of these six scientist-poets.' Alice Roberts, author of The Incredible Unlikeliness of Being and presenter of Digging for Britain, Coast and Time Team
Hard to put down! A fascinating book full of comprehensive biographies showing the development of and influences on the poet scientist, illustrated with generous amounts of poetry!' Dame Jocelyn Bell Burnell
This excellent book is a creative collision of Hadron-like proportion, scattering fragments of intellectual curiosity, fluency and unpretentiousness across every page. One of my "discoveries" of 2019.' Lemn Sissay, MBE

Author Bio

Sam Illingworth is a Senior Lecturer in Science Communication at Manchester Metropolitan University