Staff news

Tutor wins prize for poetry

A University of Edinburgh English Literature tutor has won third prize in a poetry competition run by the ESRC Genomics Network.

Sophie Cooke and Russell Jones

Russell Jones’ third-place poem ‘Chromosome Medley’ was described as an “energetic imagining of the impact of genetic choice on the past present and future.”

Inspired by science

The competition was hosted in partnership with the Scottish Poetry Library.

More than 200 entries were received from writers tasked with creating a poem inspired by the question of how work in the field of genomics is helping society.

The overall winner was Edinburgh alumnus Sophie Cooke for her poem Forward Deck.

Our winning poems highlight a sense of uncertainty surrounding genetic technologies and the role they might play in `improving the human’, and we hope they will encourage others to explore their own views on these important issues.

Professor Steve SturdyESRC Genomics Network

Building links

The ESRC Genomics Network was established at the University of Edinburgh in 2004.

It seeks to develop links between social scientists and scientists working across genomic science and technology, and outreach this research to policymakers, business, the media and society at large.

The Network has recently announced a new creative partnership with the Traverse Theatre to develop drama writing themed around genomics.