Climate Poetry
Poets have long used their craft to reframe issues, convey emotion and share ideas, and climate change is an increasing feature of poetry shared across the world.
To mark the launch of the Priestley Centre for Climate Futures, we paired University of Leeds poets with Priestley Centre climate researchers to have a conversation that inspires a new poem.
Find the full playlist of poetry videos on our YouTube channel.
Kate Simpson and Professor James Ford
Kate Simpson is part of a Doctoral Training Programme in Extinction Studies, sitting between the School of English and the School of Earth and Environment.
Professor James Ford is Priestley Chair in Climate Adaptation and his research focuses on climate change impacts, adaptation, and vulnerability, working closely with Indigenous communities in the Arctic and globally with a major focus on health and well-being, food security, wildfires, and resource management.
Following their conversation, Kate wrote the poem ‘Adaptation Gap’ based on an epigraph from Emily Berry’s ‘Unexhausted Time’:
Matt Howard and Dr Katie Wright
Matt Howard is manager of the University of Leeds Poetry Centre and is a poet and environmentalist who worked in various roles for the RSPB for more than a decade.
Dr Katie Wright works in the School of Sociology & Social Policy and her expertise is in the role of the public and communities in policy agendas, in particular urban planning, climate adaptation, societal transformations and emergency planning and response.
Following their conversation, Matt wrote the poem Experiments and Observations on Different Kinds of Air, 1775:
Professor John Whale and Dr Lone Sorensen
Professor John Whale is Director of the University of Leeds Poetry Centre and Professor of Romantic Literature.
Dr Lone Sorensen is Associate Professor of Political Communication and her research focuses on the relationship between citizens and public representatives as it pertains to questions of knowledge and truth and especially as it is enacted on digital platforms. She also explores polarisation and populism, and is increasingly focusing on climate politics.
Following their conversation, John wrote the poem Jizz:
Blaise Sales and Jasper Rees
Blaise Sales and Jasper Rees are previous Priestley Climate Scholars. Blaise is a poet and literature student in the School of English and Jasper is a scientist in the School of Biology.
Following their conversation, Blaise wrote the poem Heat Stressed Moth:
Simon Armitage
At our launch event we also showcased a poem by Poet Laureate and Professor of Poetry in the School of English, Simon Armitage. He wrote The Summit following a trip to Svalbard: