From a
sapient pig to human extinction, syphilis to broken bones, a woman who births
rabbits to changelings in the crib, this collection explores the full range of
human fallibility as well as the eternal quest for hopefulness.
Cures is filled with strange
characters: volcanic women, a rat catcher on the brink of retirement, a
bonesetter, a drunkard, a mermaid; the collection is brimful with both the
uncanny and the familiar, exploring the joys of parenthood, the folly of
dissipation and reflecting on lives lived – mixing words in search of a tonic. From the author: "I think we
are all driven by the quest for cures, things to make us feel better, stronger,
younger and happier; I also think we can all be a little misguided sometimes in
our search. This collection contrasts human folly with positive and meaningful
elements like family, feeding a curious mind and expressing our creativity. The
collection combines the personal with the universal, the historical with the
present and asks you to explore the strange and the familiar in equal measure.
On a personal note
there are poems about my journey as a new parent and transitional aspects of my
own life. I have a love of history and am passionate about rediscovering
forgotten voices, particularly women’s voices. I wrote a collection stuffed
with all the characters and stories that interest me and that I hope will be of
interest to others."