Swell

Wry wit and honesty combine to make Swell a compelling narrative of marriage, pregnancy and motherhood. The world of mother and baby groups and “hashtag self-care” enables a rich vein of comic material, but it is emotional exposure and fragility... that makes Swell such a rewarding collection -- David Wheatley * Guardian * A beautiful, powerful, profound collection of poems. There is an honesty that is both heart-breaking and more hopeful than anything else I've read on this subject. She makes me weep and wonder in equal measure -- Hollie McNish Tender, lyrical, a family mise-en-scene, exploring the tiny narratives that write us. These poems are an umbilical, a feeding. Beautiful -- Joelle Taylor, author of <i> C+nto </i> A feat. Both creatively and emotionally -- Caroline Bird Maria Ferguson articulates the previously unsayable in these radical, tender poems. Swell gives voice to the full complexity of motherhood - the love next to the guilt, the ambivalence next to joy, even the desire to sometimes run away -- Kim Moore, author of <i> All The Men I Never Married </i> These poems have an energy which is infectious. Reading them will make you feel free and fearless - Ferguson shows us how language can give new meaning to our tenderest moments -- Helen Mort An extraordinary poetry collection. I found each page and turn of phrase unflinching, vivid and honest. Maria Ferguson is a brilliant poet, a dark and wry and witty poet, who always brings a quiet fury and compassion to the page -- Salena Godden