Please join me in congratulating poet, Kelly Davis, on the launch of her new poetry collection, The Lost Art of Ironing, published by the awesome The Hedgehog Poetry Press.
In The Lost Art of Ironing, the metaphorical iron smooths out life’s creases as well as crumpled clothes, with poems about women as lovers, wives, mothers, muses, and editors and curators of their own lives. There are meditations on Emily Dickinson, Anne Sexton, George Sand and Lisa Gherardini (better known as ‘the Mona Lisa’). And the collection ends with five modern versions of Shakespeare’s best-loved sonnets, looking at time, love and mortality in the digital age. These poems sparkle with wit and wisdom and shed new light on the way women’s lives have changed – and not changed.
What others say
“Here is a true poet. No game playing, no showing off, no trying to impress. These poems go straight to the heart of what it means to be alive in the day-to-day world most of us occupy. I’m amazed this is her first collection.” Brian Patten
“A sensitive and assured collection. Kelly Davis reflects on many aspects of her life and family history in tones that range from sorrow through wistfulness to wry humour. Her poems are both wise and probing…. This is a book to treasure and return to; each re-reading will yield new enjoyment.” Lucy Newlyn
“This collection offers the accumulated riches of a life well lived. ‘To My Hands’ provides an autobiographical framework; other poems sketch family history, sometimes tragic. But the heart of this book is celebration. ‘The Big Room’ is worthy of a place where jigs were danced and Christmases were celebrated… The celebration extends to Maryport where this house is located, which has seen better days but has ‘the best bloody sunsets in England.’ Yea! There is so much to enjoy here.” John Freeman
Available direct from the author, at £10 (incl. p&p) or £11 for a signed copy
Available from the publisher after 19th August 2024
Online Launch Event
Kelly will be reading from her new collection at an online launch with Magaret Royall (Toccata and Fugue with Harp) and Kerry Darbishire (River Talk) on Wednesday 4th September, 7pm, to celebrate the publication of their collections by Hedgehog Poetry Press in August. The event will be compered by Lucy Heuschen.
Please contact Margaret Royall via email at margaretroyall@icloud.com to register for the Zoom link.
About Kelly Davis
Photography taken by Clare Park
Kelly Davis lives in Maryport, on the West Cumbrian coast, and works as a freelance editor. Her poetry has been widely anthologised and published in magazines such as Mslexia, Magma, London Grip and Shooter. In 2021 she came second in the Borderlines Poetry Competition and was longlisted for the Erbacce Press Poetry Competition. She has twice been shortlisted for the Aesthetica Creative Writing Award and she appears in the Best New British and Irish Poets 2019–2021 anthology (Black Spring Press). In 2021, she collaborated with Kerry Darbishire on their poetry pamphlet Glory Days (Hen Run).
Links
Patricia M Osborne 