An interview with Dr Jayanthiny Kangatharan
Laura Riggall & Rachel Dumbrell interview the UCL alumna and neuroscientist-turned-author and poet.
Photography: Jayanthiny Kangatharan
Following her MSc in Cognitive Neuroscience at UCL, Dr Jayanthiny Kangatharan studied Experimental Psychology at Brunel and later joined a team of researchers and expert musicians at Harvard to contribute to the investigation of the underlying acoustical structure of the world’s music. A scientist by trade and an artist at heart, she has always been interested in ventures that allow science and art to converge. As an enthusiastic polyglot, she hopes her debut anthology “Multilingual Neuropoetry” will help readers from any language background understand how they can uncover the essence of their human existence via this creative way of neuroart. We asked Jayanthiny to tell us more about Multilingual Neuropoetry, her motivation for writing, and to share any advice for those interested in pursuing creative writing.
Could you please tell us about your new book, Multilingual Neuropoetry?
I wrote my book “Multilingual Neuropoetry” to explain and explore diverse neuroscientific phenomena through a poetic lens. You find my poetry on the brain and mind cover themes, such as neurophysiology, neurology and consciousness and it also attempts to answer questions we usually ask ourselves that revolve around our human existence, and the very essence that makes us human.
What inspired you to link neuroscience and poetry, and where did the inspiration for Multilingual Neuropoetry come from?
I have always liked poetry, and with my extensive background in psychology and cognitive neuroscience, it was only a matter of time that my creative self would connect the romantic feel of poetry with the unembellished reality of neuroscience. I decided to create “Multilingual Neuropoetry” to define the idea, give science an artistic expression, and art a scientific expression, and make neuropoetry accessible to multilingual audiences.
Could you explain why you chose to make the book multilingual, and what dimension this adds for the reader?
Usually if you read or listen to poetry in a language, your mind is taken on a poetic journey in which you start to become creative in that language. I chose to provide a multilingual layer to expand readers’ creative potential and inspire them to pen a poem in a non-native language, and in their native language if English is not their first language. I hope this adds a layer of fun, and intrigue to the reader/writer experience.
What kind of research did you do for the book, and how long did you spend researching before starting the writing process?
My research came from my readings and studies on the mind and the brain that I did in my undergrad, postgrad, doctoral and postdoc years and my time during teaching. Unbeknownst to me then, this helped me become familiar with the material around which I’d later create my neuropoetry. Ten years into my studies, I started writing neuropoetry when I joined a local writers’ group. Once I realised that neuropoetry is a concept that many people might find fascinating, I decided to create a book. I spent another four years in research, which is when the book actually started taking shape.
What were the biggest challenges you faced writing “Multilingual Neuropoetry”?
One big challenge I faced was thinking I had finished writing just to later find out that it’d be good to add more detail. The book initially was supposed to be a light read including just poetry until someone pointed out that it’d be worth having notes for each poem to explain how neuroscience and poetry come together. Naturally, my book grew in size, and I couldn’t resist adding some more poetry as well.
How does “Multilingual Neuropoetry” appeal to both neuroscientists and non-neuroscientists alike? What kind of person would “Multilingual Neuropoetry” appeal to?
Neuroscientists might find this book interesting because Multilingual Neuropoetry introduces them to a creative way in which neuroscience can be viewed, accessed and explained. In that sense, it might help them clarify their own research to the public in a fun and engaging way.
Non-neuroscientists might find this book worth reading because it piques their curiosity about how we ‘tick’. It helps you understand different ideas in psychology and neuroscience using your creativity to gain insights into how your brain works.
“Multilingual Neuropoetry” is a great book for any open-minded person who wants to know more about their mind and brain in a creative way, and who doesn’t shy away from learning something new to challenge themselves, expand their creative vision and share it with others.
What advice would you give to students with an interest in creative writing?
I’d encourage them to write regularly, and jot down any creative pieces that enter their mind. You’d be surprised what you can come up with! I’d also advise them to join their local writing group. This will open your mind towards exploring different avenues of creative writing, and help you find the one that allows you to express yourself freely. It’s also worth attending and performing at open-mic events to expose yourself to new ideas and audiences.
Reading “Multilingual Neuropoetry” emphasised some of the creative ways in which neuroscience can be explored. Do you have any ideas for future creative works?
With creativity, you’ve got the power to change the way ideas are perceived and change others’ perception. With your creativity you can rediscover what a concept truly means to you. Neuropoetry is one way to express the concept of neuroart, that is to combine art and neuroscience, in a literary way. Other ways could be to take the wonders of the brain or neurological accounts and express them through photography, creative writing, songs, or movies through which we can come to appreciate the beauty of our brain and understand what it’s like to live with a certain condition. However, there is more you can do to express creatively yourself beyond 3D…
Read the full interview at Dr Kangatharan’s blog The Multilingual Brain. Her interview with RadioHarrow can be found here. A copy of “Multilingual Neuropoetry” can be purchased at Amazon UK.