The debut poetry collection of Sophie Grace Chappell, philosopher and poet, rich in warmth and grief and wit.

"Understanding brings tears, says Sophie Grace Chappell in "Elegy for a Still-born Child," and indeed, grief, and dealing with it, are central themes of this collection. But also, Chappell examines faith and interrogates it; and her heart is amply shown to beat in the north, and in writing about it. Chappell's language is rich, revealing—especially so in "Glen Lui," and some of the earlier poems, where there are echoes of TS Eliot. Sometimes she uses dextrous rhyme. At others, free verse. Her first lines sing. Despite the minotaur grief at the heart of the collection, Chappell's poetry involves both the heart and head of the reader, and evokes a longing to leave the built-up south for a world of more intimate understanding."

Jennifer A. McGowan
winner of the 2020 Prole Pamphlet Competition