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| Candlestick Press August 2025 My thanks to the publisher for my copy of this pamphlet |
Selected and introduced by Helen Ivory and Martin Figura…
It’s easy to imagine Norfolk as just wide skies and long flat horizons. This lively selection of poems shows that there’s plenty more to discover in this very easterly corner of Britain.
There’s a paean to the region’s distinctive pale flint with its “black, cracked-open heart” together with a reminder of “the sunken trees of Doggerland” now lost to the waters. We also explore the county’s history as a centre for the textile industry, meeting the “throwsterers, twisterers and wool-combers” who came over from the Low Countries. Norfolk is a place people long to return to – whether by crossing land or sea:
“Who amongst us has never been a stranger
at some shore, like a hopeful little boat.
How does anyone end up anywhere?”
from ‘Cloth’ by Martin Figura
Poems by Monica Alvi, Camilla Doyle, Martin Figura, Helen Hadfield, Matt Howard, Helen Ivory, John Kett, Andrew McDonnell, Esther Morgan and George Szirtes.
The anthology captures Norfolk as a place of echoes and deep history whose wild beauty never forgets the tang of the sea.
There’s a paean to the region’s distinctive pale flint with its “black, cracked-open heart” together with a reminder of “the sunken trees of Doggerland” now lost to the waters. We also explore the county’s history as a centre for the textile industry, meeting the “throwsterers, twisterers and wool-combers” who came over from the Low Countries. Norfolk is a place people long to return to – whether by crossing land or sea:
“Who amongst us has never been a stranger
at some shore, like a hopeful little boat.
How does anyone end up anywhere?”
from ‘Cloth’ by Martin Figura
Poems by Monica Alvi, Camilla Doyle, Martin Figura, Helen Hadfield, Matt Howard, Helen Ivory, John Kett, Andrew McDonnell, Esther Morgan and George Szirtes.
The anthology captures Norfolk as a place of echoes and deep history whose wild beauty never forgets the tang of the sea.
Cover illustration by Louise Stebbing.
📖 My Review ..
Norfolk, a place of big skies and quiet places, is somewhere I have only visited once and that just a flying visit with the intention of returning one day, a promise which has somehow slipped me by. I recall the friendliness of its people and the bleak beauty of its seascapes. This anthology of ten beautifully written poems encapsulates the brooding nature of the county and its often forgotten presence in its own little corner of the country.
“ Now spread your wings
hover as a sickle-taloned kestrel
above the sunken trees of Doggerland
then plummet sharp into the marram-knitted dunes
caught in ink by the cartographer
before sea was risen all beyond itself to claim them.”
From The Water Map by Helen Ivory
The beautifully imagined landscape and its rich vernacular is captured perfectly :
“… that at least the last of the fenfolk might
creep back at nightfall through the shining
fields, volty with damselflies: barbubblers and
buttlebumps…”
From Evensong by Jen Hadfield
Having read this special anthology of poems which celebrate the diversity and beauty of this lovely county I now have the urge to revisit Norfolk and become reacquainted with its old ways and byways. With its beautiful cover illustration, so reminiscent of the Norfolk Fens, Ten Poems from Norfolk is a lovely treasure trove of verses and is the perfect gift instead of a card which compliments perfectly this series of UK regional poetry pamphlets.
About the Publisher
Candlestick Press is a small, independent press publishing sumptuously produced poetry pamphlets that serve as a wonderful alternative to a greetings card, with matching envelopes and bookmarks left blank for your message. Their subjects include Mountains, Clouds, Walking, Birds, Wine and Happiness. Candlestick Press pamphlets are stocked by chain and independent bookshops, galleries and garden centres nationwide and available to order online.
Twitter/X @poetrycandle
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