The poetry of mosquitoes

  • Image for the "Mosquitoes, Mozambigue" sound workHear 'Mosquitoes, Mozambique', a new sound work by poet Fiona Benson and radio producer Mair Bosworth, as part of their 2019-20 Urgency Arts Commission with Arts and Culture Exeter. As well as a reading of the poem itself, Fiona also shares the story behind it, including conversations with scientist Dr Richard Lane OBE.

RIchard is (among many other things!) a member of Dipterists Forum and of the Devon Fly Group, and he describes how the above project grew out of a Devon Fly Group meeting:

"Last year when we visited Stover Park, a poet, Fiona Benson, joined us for the day. She looked at what we were doing and was very interested to talk about mosquitoes – well who wouldn’t! She recorded our conversation about mosquitoes and malaria sitting on the edge of the woods.

"Quite out of the blue I had a message from Fiona a couple of weeks ago to say that she had recorded a poem she had written about mosquitoes and malaria based on her experience in Mozambique and that she wanted to include our interview. The work has been developed by Arts and Culture at Exeter University and is available to listen to at the above link.

"One of the more unusual outcomes from a day collecting flies with the Devon Fly Group."

 

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