SWN #11 Synergy is here!
Launching our 11th edition, 'Synergy' with fresh new fiction, nonfiction + poetry inspired by the science of synergy | Plus, World Science Festival kicks off in Brisbane!
Welcome to SWN #11 Synergy
We are so excited to draw back the curtain on this edition, which features some of our favourite past contributors, new contributors, incredible photography by Kathryn Cooper, as well as stories by two young writers who were mentored through support by the Queensland Government’s Engaging Science program.
First up, a word from SWN’s co-founder and editor, Dr Jessica White:
‘When we first started generating ideas for our themed issues, and landed on synergy, I thought the word meant to have an affinity with another life form – for example, you and a friend could be said to have a ‘good synergy’. When I looked up the definition, however, I found that synergy is the interaction or combination of two or more organisms or entities that produces an effect greater together than separately. What could be a better definition of friendship? Or, my train of thought continued, of ecology, community, or creativity itself…?’
In the cover artwork ‘Meteor’ by our featured artist, Kathryn Cooper, individual starlings achieve a murmuration – a collective body in motion – in the evening air, their presence as striking as a stone from space. Our latest edition echoes this, generating resonance through proximity of poem, story, essay and image…
// Synergy in poetry…
As Anne Elvey’s ‘Heart to Leaf’ considers the relationships among humans and ecosystems, Magdelena Ball’s ‘Interdependence Intricacies’ and ‘Metanoia’ are inspired by the Watagan forest (New South Wales) and this article in Elementa about the need to re-embed ourselves into this world as a matter of survival. As Magdelena explains, ‘we need to re-think ourselves and our connection to the earth’.
Permutations of time are the subject of Shey Marque’s ‘Isochronism: Three Sonnets’, and the marvel of plums becoming jam is simmered over in ‘The Jam-Maker’ by Lisa Collyer. In ‘Micellisation’, Michael J. Leach considers the chemical properties of surfactants with a structure that mimics the movement of molecules —a wonderful example of the way that science and poetry interleave.
In ‘A Long, Flat Poem’, Miles Hitchcock describes how a tiny indentation on a flat surface can bring a whole world into being. We never know when an idea will come but, when it touches us, whether invited or not, it generates an internal spark — one that prompts us to reach out, connect, and repeat the process of endless creativity.
// Synergy in non-fiction…
In our essays, Heather Taylor-Johnson tracks the permutation of wind, from its entrapment in her middle ear, to Provence and the mistral and Vincent van Gogh, to the bushfires in Australia, touching on a range of artists on the way. Paul Bogard muses on the way the moon bears witness to human activity, and how its light seeps into our literature and lives. Coen Hird writes on First Nations peoples’ connections to Antarctica and the impacts on health and cultural responsibility.
Other essays feature the synergy of human connections. Anne Carson visited an archive in Leipzig to find out more about Anna Magdalena… It’s an amazing literary exchange, one echoed by Dan Beachy-Quick’s essay on the correspondences and collaborations of poetry in his friendships with fellow creatives — a never-ending conversation of thirteen-line poems with Bruce Bond, and the remoulding of poems by potter-sculptor Del Harrow on the interplay between humans and objects.
In ‘Beware of Imposters (the secret life of flowers)’, Selene de Carvalho searches for an orchid, Prasophyllum taphanyx, among a cemetery, reflecting on death and extinction, colonisation, and her own installation exploring these themes…
// Synergy in fiction…
With funding from the Queensland Government, we have been able to support two young writers to write a piece of fiction inspired by science, while another two young editors worked on selected submissions. Ellyse Reese has penned a striking depiction of the interactions between benzodiazepines and the chemicals in grapefruits in ‘Death by Grapefruit’, while Adeeba Shaik draws on the synergy of poetry and nature, bees and flowers in her poignant piece about connection and loss, ‘The Greater Story’. We are also grateful to Georgia Douglas and Kael Saw for their edits, (and watch this space for their Q&A interviews with a musicologist and astronomer!)
SWN’s top picks for World Science Festival BNE
World Science Festival Brisbane (WSFB) celebrates its 10th anniversary in 2025, the 100th year of Quantum, with over 200 events across 10 days, uniting local, national and international thought leaders. One city, one vision: Infinite Awe.
Looking for groundbreaking discoveries, mind-blowing discussions and interactive experiences? WSFB addresses some of most pressing scientific questions of our time, while making science exciting and accessible for all. Check out our top festival picks and themed program collections below, or explore the full program for all events.
01 | Inquiring Minds is a series for anyone curious about the future of science, society, and beyond, featuring world-renowned scientists, researchers and thought leaders including Prof Brian Greene, David Sinclair, Leigh Sales AM, Annabel Crabb, Sana Qadar as they explore groundbreaking topics like quantum physics, health and aging, First Nations knowledge, technology and more.
02 | First Nations Knowledge is a captivating collection of First Nations-led talks and workshops that delve into the deep connection between Indigenous cultures and the universe through storytelling and wisdom of the land, the seas and the skies, blending ancient teachings with modern science, and celebrating the vibrant cultures and knowledge systems of First Nations communities.
03 | The Art of Science is all about beauty and patterns in science and nature. At the nexus of art and science we experience the wonder of shapes, colours, repetition, light and movement. Discover the intrinsic artistry of science from plants and Petrie dishes to botanical brushes, bees and butterflies. Get your awe on!
04 | Infinity and Beyond: A constellation of brilliant astrophysicists, astronomers and astronauts shine a light on the cosmic mysteries and out-of-this-world discoveries in this unmissable series of space-aged events. Special guests include First Nations astronomer Karlie Noon and astrophysicists Kristen Banks exploring the Cosmos and its darkest mysteries. Fasten your seatbelts…
Discounted ticket packages and concessions are available. Book here.
Thank you to our amazing contributors who have brought so much synergy to this small but mighty edition through your words, art, poetry and more!
We hope that in reading this edition you find creative inspiration, a sense of connection and belief in the ways that – together – we can build something greater.
Thanks again, and we hope you enjoy #11: Synergy!
— Amanda, Jess, Taylor, Bianca + the SWN team
We have big plans for the year ahead!
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PS: Check out Murmurations, a project by Barcelona-born photographer Xavi Bou (director) and Kristina Dutton (composer) in Aeon magazine… incredible synergy!