The pamphlet is being published in memory of Felix Alexander, the 17 year-old-boy who took his own life after years of online bullying.
Felix Alexander
1998 - 2016
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| Candlestock Press 26 April 2017 |
Candlestick Press is launching Ten Poems of Kindness edited by Jackie Kay at Pershore High School, Worcestershire on April 26th. At the launch event Jackie Kay will be reading the two poems she has written specially for the anthology and introducing some guest readers.
This new title from Candlestick Press brings something very special to the list. Edited by Jackie Kay and containing two new poems she has written specially for the anthology, Ten Poems of Kindness is allied to a compelling cause. ‘Felix’s Campaign of Kindness’ was instigated by the mother of Felix Alexander, a 17-year-old boy who took his own life after years of online bullying. The pamphlet is dedicated to the memory of Felix and contains the inspirational ‘Open Letter’ written by his mother after his death. The beautiful cover illustration is of elderflower, traditionally used to represent compassion and kindness.
Kindness can be an underestimated value in our increasingly hectic and impersonal world. It is a word that we use most often in our conversations with young children when we tell them to be kind to a fellow creature or a new friend. These generous poems remind us that kindness can take many forms and that a kind gesture doesn’t have to be either time-consuming or complicated. On the contrary:
“Sometimes a sober voice is enough
to calm the waters & drive away
the false witnesses,”
from ‘Kindness’ by Yusef Komunyakaa
Jackie Kay is one of the foremost poets writing in Britain today. She has published numerous poetry collections and a memoir, Red Dust Road, about her quest to find her birth parents. She is the third modern Makar, the Scottish Poet Laureate.
Poems by Fleur Adcock, Gwendolyn Brooks, Ian Duhig, Sarah Howe, Jackie Kay, Yusef Komunyakaa, Norman MacCaig, Sylvia Plath, Rabindranath Tagore and Kate Tempest.
Donation to young people’s mental health charity Place2Be www.place2be.org.uk
More about Candlestick Press:
Candlestick Press is an independent publisher based in Nottingham, UK. We’ve been publishing poetry pamphlets since 2008 not only for people who already love poetry, but also for those who will love it but perhaps don’t know that yet. Our ‘instead of a card’ pamphlets make an ideal alternative to a mainstream greetings card and are a small gift in their own right. They have matching envelopes and bookmarks left blank for your message, and are excellent companions on journeys or for a bedtime read. By supporting us, you help an independent press and our supported charities at the same time as treating yourselves, your friends and family to some wonderful poems.
See more at www.candlestickpress.co.uk
My thoughts about Ten Poems of Kindness...
The notion that we should always be kind to one another is something which, at times, I am afraid that far too many of us forget. And in the hustle and bustle of today's world we so often leave little time for those random acts of kindness which should always be right at the core of our daily lives.
The Ten poems of Kindness reflect so thoughtfully what it means to be kind...
From the poem Kinder by Jackie Kay which urges us to:
" ...Choose to be kind:
Not duplicitous, not two-faced,
Not passive-aggressive, not dishonest,
Not spiteful, not cowardly anonymous,
Have a good grace..."
To the simple beauty of Yusef Komunyakaa's, Kindness
"...When deeds splay out before us
precious as gold & unused chances
stripped from the whine-bone,
we know the moment kindheartedness
walks in... "
Lucy Alexander's Open Letter to her son Felix, broke my heart into a million pieces.
If you only buy one poetry pamphlet this year, then let it be this one...
Purchasing link
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I'm off to buy this now x
ReplyDeleteThank you so much, Linda. That's very kind of you. I know you will enjoy it as much as I did.
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