CUHK Artist-in-Residence 2025
Forrest Gander
Forrest Gander (1956 – ) is a distinguished American poet, author, translator and interdisciplinary collaborator whose work bridges the worlds of literature, science, and the arts. Born in the Mojave Desert in California, Gander holds degrees in geology and English literature, a background that shapes his writing’s deep engagement with place, ecology, and human connection.
Gander is the author of numerous award-winning books of poetry, fiction, and translation. His collection Be With won the 2019 Pulitzer Prize for Poetry. Other notable works include Twice Alive, the desert novel The Trace, and his recent poetry collection Mojave Ghost. His writing is known for its formal innovation and emotional depth, often exploring themes of ecology and intimacy.
As a translator, Gander has introduced major works to audiences, including Alice Iris Red Horse: Poems by Gozo Yoshimasu and Then Come Back: The Lost Neruda Poems. Several of his own books have been translated into Chinese by Li Dong and published by East China Normal University Press. Gander’s collaborative projects span visual arts, photography, dance, and music, with artists such as Ann Hamilton, Sally Mann, Eiko & Koma, Cao Fei, among others.
He has taught at Harvard University and is named the A.K. Seaver Professor of Literary Arts and Comparative Literature at Brown University, where he offered courses in Poetry & Ethics, EcoPoetics, Latin American Literature, and Translation Theory. His collaborative book with Australian poet/activist John Kinsella, Redstart: An Ecological Poetics, is frequently cited by scholars and writers in reference to “eco-poetics.” Gander’s honours include fellowships from the Library of Congress, the Guggenheim Foundation, and the US Artists foundation.
As the 2025 CUHK Artist-in-Residence, Forrest Gander brings a unique vision to the intersection of art and cross-cultural dialogues.
Forrest Gander
Gander reads “The Sounding”.
“one of our great contemporary poets”—NATURE
“an unflinchingly curious mind”—NEW YORK TIMES
Programme Activities
CUHK Poetry Contest 2025
The CUHK Poetry Contest ran from June to October as a highlight of the CUHK Artist-in-Residence Programme 2025, attracting over ninety submissions from students across seven Faculties. Three outstanding poems were selected by the selection panel and guest judge, Professor Forrest Gander. The winning poets and their works are:
First Place – “Things to ask a grandmother” by Tiffany Wing Ying
Year 1, MPhil in Literary Studies, Department of English, Faculty of Arts
Second Place – “War Cry into the Wall Between Us” by Leung Ho Yee Holly
Year 3, BA in English, Department of English, Faculty of Arts
Third Place – “ode to asian koel” by Vinci Yung
Year 1, MSc in Medical Laboratory Sciences, Department of Anatomical and Cellular Pathology, Faculty of Medicine
An Award Presentation Ceremony was held on 11 November to celebrate the winners and recognise the creativity of all participants.
Event Highlight | Award-winning Poems
Exhibition – A Sonnet of Mudras
Date: 27 October 2025 (Monday) to 25 November 2025 (Tuesday)
Venue: Exhibition Area, G/F, University Library, CUHK
A Sonnet of Mudras is a collaborative work by transdisciplinary artist Ashwini Bhat and Forrest Gander. The sonnet pairs fourteen sculptural hand gestures (mudras) with fourteen poetic lines. Drawing on Bhat’s years of training in Bharatanatyam and Gander’s long engagement with the sonnet form, the project uses lenticular prints to merge text and image, which shift with the viewer’s angle to explore gesture, language, intimacy and interdependence.
Public Reading
Date: 14 November 2025 (Friday)
Event: 4:30pm – 6pm
Venue: Exhibition Area, G/F, University Library, CUHK
Speakers: Forrest Gander, Ashwini Bhat
Moderator: Professor Collier Nogues, Department of English
Event Highlight
Poetry Workshop
Date: 5 November (Wednesday) & 11 November (Tuesday)
Venue: Digital Scholarship Lab, G/F, University Library, CUHK
Event Highlight
