Bioluminescent Baby

Bioluminescent Baby is a new sequence of poetry by Fiona Benson about insects and their behaviours, with original woodcut illustrations by Anupa Gardner.

Fiona was interested in the urgency inherent in an insect’s short lifespan, as well as the urgency of the environmental crisis and shrinking biodiversity. Her insect poems are love stories – capturing her fascination with these tiny creatures, painting wonderful images of insect life that we can’t help but relate to, and sparking a new appreciation for these small lifeforms that are all around us.

The poems in Bioluminescent Baby were created during Fiona’s University of Exeter ‘Urgency’ Arts Commission, 2018-20. Fiona collaborated with sound artists Mair Bosworth and Eliza Lomas and their work may be seen and heard here.

Fiona Benson has written two full collections, Vertigo & Ghost and Bright Traveller, both published by Cape Poetry, with a third due in 2023. Her work has won Forward prizes for Best Poem and for Best First Collection. The Bioluminescent Baby poem ‘Mama Cockroach, I Love You’ was shortlisted for Best Poem in 2020.

Anupa Gardner is an Indian-born artist based in Edinburgh, working predominantly in printmaking. Her work explores the ways in which we inhabit the world, our interactions with each other, nature, and the built environment. Limited edition prints of Anupa’s woodcuts for Bioluminescent Baby are available here.