Paperback, 105x148mm, monochrome, 24pp

A Celestial Crown of Sonnets aims to tell the story of astronomy via an heroic crown of sonnets (also known as a sonnet redoublé), with each sonnet focusing on a different historically significant astronomer. The formal structure involves fourteen sonnets (which we have prepared according to the Shakespearean style) in which the last line of each sonnet is the first line of the proceeding one. The final line of the fourteenth sonnet is also the same as the first line of the first, and these fourteen sonnets are followed by a fifteenth ‘mastersonnet’, in which the first lines from each of the fourteen previous sonnets are used to construct a new sonnet, which again must conform to the metre and form of the chosen style of sonnet (i.e. Shakespearean).

About the Authors...

Dr Sam Illingworth is an Associate Professor at Edinburgh Napier University in the UK, whose research involves using poetry to develop dialogue between scientists and non-scientists. He is also the founder of Consilience, the world’s first science and poetry peer-reviewed journal. You can find out more about Sam and his work by visiting his website, samillingworth.com, and connect with him on Twitter @samillingworth.

Dr Stephen Paul Wren was educated at Cambridge and worked as a chemist in industry for many years. He transitioned back into academia at Oxford University (St Hilda’s College) before joining Kingston University in September 2018 where he works as a Senior lecturer. Read Stephen’s poetry here: www.stephenpaulwren.wixsite.com/luke12poetry and  find him on Twitter @Stephen34343631.