Writing these sestinas has brought to mind all the amazing lives that have touched mine and have made me realise just how precious every single strand has been. The sestina was invented by the twelfth-century mathematician Arnaud Daniel. The end words of the first stanza are repeated in a set formula throughout the poem. I have found this form of poetry thrilling and addictive.

**THE RUNAWAY NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER“Katherine May opens up exactly what I and so many need to hear but haven't known how to name.” —Krista Tippett, On Being“Every bit as beautiful and healing as the season itself. . . . This is truly a beautiful book.” —Elizabeth Gilbert"Proves that there is grace in letting go, stepping back and giving yourself time to repair in the dark...May is a clear-eyed observer and her language is steady, honest and acc...

Australia's bravest and most honest writer explores the devastating aftermath of her elderly mother's decision to end her own life.Nikki Gemmell's world changed forever in October 2015 when the body of her elderly mother was found and it became clear she had decided to end her own life. After the immediate shock and devastation came the guilt and the horror, for Nikki, her family, relatives and friends. No note was left, so the questions that Elayn's death raised were endless. Was t...

A celebration of the highs and lows of one woman's life through the experiences of many othersThe first and most important woman in my life was my mother. As it should be, in an ideal world.Candida Baker grew up in a colorful family, with an actor father and costume designer mother. Her parents' complex, and at times chaotic, lives made for a challenging environment, and from an early age Candida understood the importance of friends, finding comfor...

The loss of a parent is an experience that we all face without any training - relating to a parent through old age and illness; going through the actual death in different circumstances and whether we can help parents to have a good death; the emotional aftermath - shock, grief, relief, the effect on families; funerals, wills and other rituals; clearing out the house and keeping memories alive; recovery and carrying on with life; the longer-term changes in us and our relationship with our ...

Much like the fencer who must constantly read and respond to her opponent's tactics during a fencing bout, this debut collection by Mary Jean Chan deftly examines relationships at once conflictual and tender.Flèche (the French word for 'arrow') is an offensive technique commonly used in épée, a competitive sport of the poet's teenage and young adult years. This cross-linguistic pun presents the queer, non-white body as both vulnerable ('flesh') and weaponised (' flèche...

S****honagh Koea exhibits her wonderful ability to combine the wry with the poignant in this finely observed short story. When asked which was her daughter, Alyssum's mother always used to say, 'The ugly one.' Alyssum has since made a life for herself, away from her old home. But her mother is now in hospital, suffering from dementia. Can Alyssum reach through the pain of the past or will her mother have the last word? Funny, touching, painful, this is quintessential Koea ...

A journey of healing takes Clare Cooper Marcus on a 6-month long solitary retreat to the remote Scottish Island of Iona. Here she experiences a mirroring of her soul and reflects and reviews the life that brought her here to this magical place. Her compelling memoir Iona Dreaming is an inspirational account of personal survival and hope in which Clare shares her recovery from a life-threatening illness, which deepens into a contemplation of the events in her life and her physical, emotiona...

A poignant exploration of identity, displacement, and belonging through experimental verse.Vahni Capildeo, known for her innovative style and collaborative performances, presents a compelling collection that delves into the emotional complexities of separation. Born in Trinidad and a Rhodes scholar, Capildeo's poems navigate the heartaches and challenges of leaving behind both a significant relationship and one's homeland.Measures of Expatriation i...

'Powerful, humane and deeply affecting, Lister's wise and truthful writing makes this essential reading for anyone touched, and utterly confused, by grief.' Sali Hughes'The must-read memoir' RedWhat does it mean to become a widow at 35?In her mid-thirties Kat Lister lost her husband to brain cancer. After five years of being a wife and one of being a carer, in love and in and out of hospitals, she became a ...

The long-awaited debut from the poet, novelist and journalist Joe Dunthorne. He was one of the most popular of our Faber New Poets (2010), and this collection has all the appeal of his acclaimed fiction: arch, playful and self-aware; truly funny and enviably cool.

Love, angels, addiction and death; they're all here in My First Colouring Book, a collection of short stories from award-winning novelist Lloyd Jones. Themed on all the colours of the rainbow - and a few extra - these stories and essays paint a picture of criss-crossing lives. They are spoken by an unexpected variety of voices: a young girl has adventures in the night, a surgeion becomes a shepherd; a middle-aged man seeks love for the last time. And his travel essays, sent from the compas...