From blossom to Brontë; seasonal reads recommended by the team at Kemps Books, Malton
BLOSSOMISE – Simon Armitage, illustrated by Angela Harding
Simon Armitage, West Yorkshire born Poet Laureate, and University of Leeds Professor of Poetry has published award-winning collections. He also writes novels, non-fiction, and for theatre, television, and radio. Angela Harding is a printmaker and illustrator. Her art is inspired by British birds and nature, and her imagery adorns books, cards, and stationery.
Blossomise was commissioned by the National Trust to create an annual celebration of spring blossom and to encourage awareness of the role nature plays in our lives, in light of the steady decline of blossom trees in the UK. It is a collection of 10 poems and 11 haiku. The haiku are especially fitting, Armitage explains, given the significance of blossom in Japanese culture. Five of the poems have become songs, composed by the band LYR, to be performed at blossom sites and to hopefully become a custom of springtime.
The poems range from countryside to urban landscapes, all welcoming the beauty of the blossoms. Harding’s illustrations enhance the imagery of the words, transforming the book into a piece of art.
Published by Faber, hardback £10
THE TOWER – Flora Carr
Flora Carr is a previous winner of the British Vogue Talent Contest, and in 2020 her short story, Starling, was highly commended for the Harper’s Bazaar Short Story Prize. Her journalistic work has appeared in TIME Magazine, British ELLE, and The Observer New Review. She grew up in Yorkshire but currently resides in London. The Tower is her debut novel.
The year is 1567. Three women cross a loch; one of them is pregnant, two of them fretful. In the tower of Loch Leven castle, Mary Queen of Scots finds herself incarcerated with her only allies, her maids, Cuckoo and Jane. In the outside world, Mary’s kin, Queen Elizabeth, claims she can do little to help. The jailor-courtier Margaret Erskine places her daughterin-law, Agnes, in the queen’s chamber as her spy. Hope seems futile until the bewitching Lady Seton arrives. Seton’s presence alters everything in the tower and soon the women devise a plan to help Mary escape. But which of them loves their queen the most and will risk all to save her?
I adored it for its visceral evocation of the period. If you love historical novels, read this; you will not be disappointed.
Published by Cornerstone, hardback £16.99
ALL US SINNERS – Katy Massey
Katy Massey worked as a journalist for many years before completing her PhD on memoir and autobiography at Newcastle University. She writes fiction and scripts as well as non-fiction. Her memoir, Are we home yet?, about her relationship with her mother, was published in 2020 by Jacaranda and was shortlisted for the Jhalak Prize. She lives in East Su
