Rebecca Hurst's debut pamphlet is woven through with fairy tales, folklore and landscape. She uses the natural world, family mythology and the theory of fairy tales to unpack, embroider, and explode traditional tales and tropes, exploring themes of voice, concealment, and transformation. Prickling with magic and spells, the poems in The Fox's Wedding lead us down a twisty path to find – what? A prince made of needles? A cursed box? A golden key? Take care and keep your wits about you; if you're lucky you might just find your way home. *** Describe the box.
It is square, carved from elm with a brass hinge and lock.
I see you hold it in your hands.
I hold it against my body, so.
It is a burden.
It is the size of a tea-caddy.
It is an object of beauty.
You could call it beautiful. The grain, the glow.
The box is very old.
The box would prefer we not discuss its age. - from 'Her Unbreakable Box'