I’ve told the origin story of The Sciku Project often enough that I’m not going to repeat myself here, except to say that the idea sprung from a particularly tedious commute one day and by the time I’d arrived home I had the whole thing roughly mapped out in my head.
Of course, I didn’t believe I was the first to come up with the idea of science haiku (‘sciku’) and lo and behold when I got home and started searching online one of the first things I stumbled across was a book of sciku written by over 150 students aged between 11 and 18 at The Camden School for Girls.
Published with the aim of raising funds to refurbish the school’s science laboratories, Sciku: The Wonder of Science in Haikugoes far beyond a mere school fundraising project.
It is, rather like its subject matter, pretty wonderous.
Friction
I walked down the street And slipped on a banana Reduced resistance
By Poppy Boswell
There are over 400 poems within its pages, covering the full breadth of scientific disciplines and interests. The poems are clever, playful, angry, funny, curious, thought-provoking, energetic and factual. There are poems that have genuinely made me laugh and there are poems that have made me feel the guilt of the old leaving the world in a worse state than when they inherited it. There’s a poem that entrances me on almost every one of the 150 pages.
Here’s an illustration of what I mean. To prepare for this review I re-read the book and folded page corners over every time I read a poem that I felt was especially worth highlighting. There are now more folded pages than unfolded. I could slot coins in the upper and lower corners of my copy and you’d never notice from it’s profile.
There’s just so much life in this book. Even the poems where you can feel the age of the writer coming through fizz with the energy of youth.
Last
Last fossil fuel burned, Last greenhouse gas relinquished, The last breath we take.
By Edom Yecalo-Tecle
I will say that a collection of more than 400 poems is a lot. They’re crammed on the pages; its not a book I find comfortable to read page after page of in a single sitting. Whilst I don’t believe haiku collections need to be one poem per page, it’s overwhelming in places with little space to breathe. I have a feeling that the editors, Simon Flynn, Karen Scott and twelve 13-14 year olds, wanted as many authors involved as possible, but the presentation sometimes makes individual poems feel rushed.
And not every sciku sticks a clean landing. None of them are awful but some are exactly what you might stereotypically expect a teenager or pre-teen to write. (All are far better than I could have written at that age, and most are better than I can write now.)
The majority are fantastic. Some are breath-taking.
I’ve been running The Sciku Project for almost 7 years now. As with any endeavour, there are peaks and troughs. It’s always an honour to be able to showcase the work of incredibly talented people and the majority of the time it’s a pleasure, but there are times when the publishing process itself feels more like a chore. In those rare moments when my enthusiasm wanes I reach for Sciku and am inspired by the passion and creativity of these incredible girls.
Bowel movement
The life processes, Most amusing – excretion. Through the rectum … plop1.
By Eden Maddix Odeniyi
This book was published 10 years ago in 2014. Everyone one of the authors will have finished school and gone on to other things. I wonder how many chose to go to university to study science. I wonder how many of them now work in science. I wonder how many carry with them a love of science and poetry as a result of this school project.
I hope writing these poems inspired the girls as much as reading them has inspired me.
1. This poem By Eden Maddix Odeniyi reminded me of Basho’s famous ‘Old Pond’ with its final line ‘mizu no oto’ which literally translates as ‘water sound’. Many English translations of Basho’s poem have written it as ‘the sound of water’ or even ‘splash’ but, for me, the sound of a frog jumping into a pond is more of a plopping sound than a splash.
With the release of his book Science Communication Through Poetry, Dr. Sam Illingworth, Associate Professor in Academic Practice at Edinburgh Napier University, presents a guide to all things science poetry. Read on for The Sciku Project’s review!
Reflections and wishes
I didn’t really know what I was doing when I started The Sciku Project. For most of my career I’d been the stereotypical scientist, focussing on the intricacies of my subject at the expense of other things. (I’ve mentioned before my frustration at a curtailed English literature and language education.) I was hooked on one form of poetry and I was passionate about using it to communicate science. But I was a bit clueless about how.
So I researched and read up and studied and learnt and designed and built and wrote and created until eventually, a little over 5 years ago, The Sciku Project was launched into the world.
At that point the real education began. Since then I’ve:
Read, written, edited, published and promoted hundreds of sciku.
Researched the advantages of using poetry for science communication (instead of only instinctively believing that it is beneficial).
Learnt how to effectively use social media and how to promote the site (even if I’m still a bit rubbish!).
Developed workshops and discovered approaches that get people excited and participating (as well as things that don’t!).
Explored, practiced and taught haiku structure and form beyond the three core traditions (17 syllables, cutting word and seasonal reference).
Discovered how to read and enjoy other forms of poetry, and seen first-hand how poetry of all forms can be effective at communicating science.
And that’s just the tip of the educational iceberg! I’ve come a long way and am proud of what I’ve learnt and achieved (whilst being the first to admit I could and should do and learn more).
I wonder how much further along would I be if I’d had Sam Illingworth’s latest book Science Communication Through Poetry to read back when The Sciku Project was nothing but an idea in my head?
Science Communication Through Poetry
Three things you should know before I go any further: (i) A copy of Science Communication Through Poetry was kindly provided by the publisher Springer Nature; (ii) I’ve worked with Sam a few times over the years, as a reviewer for Consilience (the science poetry journal that he founded) and on a workshop and poetry competition I organised in 2021; and (iii) The Sciku Project is referenced in the book itself, as is my 2017 Science article about the site’s inception.
With those disclaimers in mind, here’s what I think of Sam’s latest book:
Science Communication Through Poetry is the book I wish I’d had before I started The Sciku Project.
I’m not exaggerating. In Science Communication Through Poetry Sam lays out all of those things I’ve learned in my years of running The Sciku Project, and so much more to boot.
A bit of Fry and Learning
Science Communication Through Poetry is split into three broad sections. The first third of the book covers the what, why, where and how of science poetry: the benefits of writing science poetry, how to find and read poetry, how to write your own science poetry and how to share your poetry. (If I’d has this 5 years ago things would have been a lot easier!)
Dr. Sam Illingworth, Associate Professor in Academic Practice at Edinburgh Napier University, UK (source).
Poetry can be intimidating for the beginner. I’ve recently read Stephen Fry’s The Ode Less Travelled. It’s undeniably excellent and beautifully written, but it’s also heavy going if you aren’t already invested in understanding the underlying structures of a great many forms of poetry.
Wisely Sam avoids going into too much detail. Meters, feet and iambs are all very briefly introduced in the context of a few example forms of poetry without scaring the newcomer away. For someone just starting out on their poetry journey it’s perfect, enough to engage and interest without overwhelming. The Ode Less Travelled is suggested as further reading and I wish I’d read Science Communication Through Poetry first before diving headfirst in Fry’s poetry bible.
“Poetry is truth dwelling in beauty”
Robert Gilfillan’s statement about poetry and truth strikes at the heart of one of the fundamental roles of poetry: to convey knowledge and truth. Plato said something similar (“Poetry is nearer to vital truth than history”), as did the French priest and poet Joseph Roux (“Poetry is truth in its Sunday clothes”).
But if poetry can illuminate truths, then can we use poetry to ask questions of scientific discourse and of science itself?
It’s this question that the middle portion of the book seeks to answer. The chapters cover two research methods using science poetry: Poetic Content Analysis (“analysing poetry written about a specific topic or theme”) and Poetic Transcription (“creating poetry from other qualitative data” such as interviews or survey responses).
The front cover of Issue 1 of Consilience, the science poetry and science art journal that Sam Illingworth founded in 2020 (source).
This was completely new for me. I’ve never used poetry as more than just a communication tool (and for my own pleasure!) but Sam shows why and how you can use poetry as a research method to “interrogate both science and scientific discourse”. I found it absolutely fascinating. Sam walks the reader through the steps, providing a worked through example of each research method.
After reading these chapters I want to try the research methods out myself and feel like, with the book alongside me at each stage of the way, I could actually do so. It’s an impressive achievement given I’ve only ever used quantitative statistics. (I’m a Generalized Linear Model fanboy, yet here I am excited by the prospect of trying qualitative analysis!)
It’s an example of the importance and power of taking an interdisciplinary approach, the core argument that lies behind everything the book advocates.
Don’t forget the biscuits!
The final third of the book is about how poetry can be used as a way of creating dialogue between scientists and non-scientists, through collaboration and workshops. There’s lots of very practical advice and suggestions, as well as worked through examples which provide a fantastic framework for those getting started.
I really admire Sam’s six-point manifesto for collaboration:
Begin at the start.
Grant agency.
Reward involvement
Be humble
Encourage evolution.
Listen.
The manifesto nicely complements Sam’s advice on not leaving participants or facilitators of workshops in a HUFF: be Humble, be Unaesthetic, be Flexible, be Fair. These stood out for me as great examples of the ethos that runs through the book. It’s clear Sam is passionate about his subject and that he cares deeply about sharing his enthusiasm with others, engaging and enabling them to experience that joy.
I also like how practical some of the advice is. This sentence on p145 genuinely made me chuckle:
“I also had to remember to bring the notebooks and biscuits to each session, both of which were critical for effective delivery of the workshops.”
We’re all human and sometimes the smallest things, such as bringing along biscuits to a workshop, can make all the difference in how an audience engages and participates. The advice Sam gives, from the big picture to the minor details, speak of his depth of experience and practical knowledge of engaging scientists and non-scientists with science and poetry.
This experience shines through in the many examples of fabulous things Sam’s done with science poetry, but I never felt that it comes across as bragging. Every stated achievement is balanced by an admittance of some other failure or area where something could have been improved. It comes back to the constant of his manifesto and HUFF: be humble.
Conclusions
Communicating science through the medium of poetry is still a relatively new practice. Sam Illingworth shows just how impactful it can be, leading the charge for this interdisciplinary approach. I believe Science Communication Through Poetry is a fantastic resource for both the novice and experienced science poet and communicator.
It’s accessible, engaging and constantly interesting, encouraging the reader to have a go themselves. Dotted throughout the book are exercises you can try out for yourself. I found the ones I tried thoroughly enjoyable. They pushed me to try forms of poetry beyond my normal comfort zone and to seriously consider ways in which I can take everything I’ve been doing with The Sciku Project to the next level.
I wish I’d had Science Communication Through Poetry to refer to over the last 5 years, I’d have returned to it again and again for advice and inspiration.
I’m very glad to have it for the next 5 years and beyond.
Introvert. Doubter. Take stock, uncover impacts. Rewards of sharing.
This post was meant to be about a collection of board game haiku and the way that tabletop games can be a form of science communication (you can find that article here). Instead I got a little side-tracked taking stock of just what running The Sciku Project has given me over the years.
I launched The Sciku Project back in June 2017 and looking back there are a lot of amazingly cool things that have come about over the intervening years:
I had an article about The Sciku Project published in Science, and the site was mentioned by Sam Illingworth in Nature.
I interviewed the wonderful poet Mary Soon Lee and was sent an advanced proof of her brilliant book Elemental Haiku.
I’ve run workshops and given talks on science poetry and writing sciku.
I attended a media and communication skills residential workshop run by the Royal Society.
I was interviewed by The Wall Street Journal about The Sciku Project and sciku in general (and promptly forgot a lot of what I learned at the media and communication workshop, hence there not being a lot about The Sciku Project in the finished article – I nervously blathered about nothing especially interesting! Lesson learned.)
I was invited to be a reviewer for the science poetry journal Consilience (me, a reviewer for a poetry journal? Ridiculous!)
I’ve made videos about getting started with sciku – I promise I’ll be sharing those in the near future.
Teena Carroll and Lora Newman asked me for advice (again, me?!?) as they set up the fabulous The Math Haiku Project.
I’ve met and engaged with a whole variety of amazing folk from around the world, all excited by scientific haiku and keen to write and share their own. Of everything I’ve just listed, this is the point I am most proud of. All those lovely people have taught me so much, I am in their debt.
There are also some more subtle impacts that have resulted from running The Sciku Project.
Firstly, I’m more interested in science communication than ever before, all the varied and fascinating ways in which researchers engage with the wider world, from haiku and other forms of poetry to comedy, videos, games and other methods that aim to create two-way conversations between scientists and non-scientists (and between scientists in different disciplines). In a world of fake news and recent breaks in trust of the experts, good science communication is more important than ever before.
A second impact of starting The Sciku Project is the effect it has had on my own confidence as an individual and as a writer. I’ve always written – fiction, non-fiction and verse – but I’d never really put myself out there before. I had never tried to get any of my writing published (scientific articles aside). I’d never even posted a Tweet. I’m naturally introverted and self-doubting, a potent and frequently restrictive combination.
In part, The Sciku Project started as a deliberate way to force my hand, to make me learn new skills and gain confidence in sharing my writing. I still don’t think it’s all that good but I have more acceptance that I’m not the best judge of such things. Now I have an awareness of what is ‘good enough’ to share (that’s not to say I subject visitors to The Sciku Project to poems that are half-baked, but if I waited until I felt a poem and its write up were perfect then I’d never post another word again).
I’ve put myself ‘out there’ and ‘out there’ has rewarded me in spades with kindness, encouragement and positivity. I now regularly post content on the internet with the full awareness that someone somewhere is likely to actually read it and, hopefully, enjoy it. In fact, talk about a boost in confidence – I’m now writing an update where I’m actually talking about me.
A year after founding The Sciku Project I took what felt like another huge step and applied to be a writer for a board game media outlet – I’d always enjoyed board games and had discovered that I rather enjoyed writing about them as well. Andy Matthews and the team at Meeple Mountain took me on and in the intervening time I’ve progressed from Guest Author to Contributing Author and now I’m an Associate Editor for the site. It’s not a paid position (my work as a research developer at the University of Liverpool puts food on the table) but, just like The Sciku Project, it’s paid me back in spades.
As I said at the top, I had originally sat down to write about science communication and board games, linking the two areas where I’ve been publishing my writing online. That idea got temporarily derailed by self-reflection so instead let me wrap up this ramble by saying:
Do you enjoy writing but have always held back?
Do you have an idea but think it’s too silly to work or that you aren’t capable enough?
Do you dream of writing and sharing your writing with the world?
Stop holding back. You are capable enough. Share your writing. Share the thing you love.
The process of sharing and putting yourself out there is just as rewarding as the response you get from sharing. It’s the old journey being more important than the destination idea. And if you want to dip your toes in the water and share a sciku or simply talk about the process of starting a science communication website or sharing your work then please do get in touch: contact@thescikuproject.com
Thank you to everyone who has visited The Sciku Project, contacted me to say how much they have enjoyed it, sent in their own sciku to be published, shared sciku and their enthusiasm on social media, and in anyway has interacted with myself or the site.
Running The Sciku Project is an absolute privilege and I will be forever grateful for the impact that all of you have had on my life. Long may we continue on this journey together!
Curious about the sciku phenomenon and The Sciku Project?
Science with Style, a fantastic website exploring science communication in all its various guises, has a guest post by Andrew M. Holmes, founder of The Sciku Project.
Head over to Science with Style to discover the myriad of benefits that sciku bring as a form of science communication, the inspiration behind The Sciku Project and an unexpected parallelism between work and personal lives.
Sometimes disparate thoughts collide to produce the most wonderful ideas that can lead to unexpected rewards. The Sciku Project is the result of such fusion and its origin story, the reasons behind its creation and the unexpected benefits of running the site can now be discovered in a Science article by Andrew M. Holmes.
This was used as a holding page for the website when some areas did not have any content. It also epitomises humanity’s drive to find out more about the world around us – the mantra of research everywhere.
Ok, this is not technically a sciku but since haiku have traditionally had a strong association with cherry blossoms it felt right for The Sciku Project to feature a cherry blossom based haiku.
