Coffin Path

Nyhet

Häftad, Engelska, 2026

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The poems in this volume were mostly written about a remote valley to the far west of Cornwall, in the area of West Penwith, which forms a granite near-island at the very tip of the country. The poet meditates on the continuity of memory in a landscape scarred by past industry and changing habitat, where the layers of history and geology are randomly strewn across its rugged topography and mortality is embodied in megaliths, walls and rocks of its ancient landscape.“West Penwith is a granite bastion jutting out into the Atlantic, ringed by seaswept high cliffs. The coastline is irregular and complex, indented by many small, intimate coves and narrow inlets known locally as ‘zawns’. The higher ground is predominantly moorland and rough pasture with a rugged and remote character. It has a simple land use pattern of wind-swept, rock-strewn heaths, ancient field systems and settlements, with frequent remains of a bygone mining industry clearly evident. The settlements have an austere and simple architecture which make good use of the hard local stone and slate. The coast dominates this landscape and provides the background and influence for many of the activities. This higher northern section of the plateau is dominated by a north-facing heath-covered ridge sloping down through a farmed coastal plain and a narrow strip of coastal heath to steep cliffs that plunge into the Atlantic. The landscape is criss-crossed by narrow lanes and tracks. The high granite cliffs rise up in great columnar steps and blocks. These are considered to be some of the most magnificent cliffs in Britain.”

Produktinformation

Utgivningsdatum2026-05-29
Mått148 x 210 x 6 mm
Vikt100 g
FormatHäftad
SpråkEngelska
Antal sidor60
FörlagBristol Books CIC
ISBN9781909446502

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Poesi inom Skönlitteratur

Martin Rieser is both a poet and visual artist. His interactive installations based on his poetry have been shown around the world, including Understanding Echo shown in Japan 2002, Hosts Bath Abbey 2006, Secret Door Invideo Milan 2006, The Street RMIT Gallery Melbourne 2008/ISEA Belfast 2009, Secret Garden, Phoenix Square 2012/Taipei 2013 and RUR at Glyndebourne in 2014 for REFRAME at the University of Sussex. He has developed mobile artworks using interactive text and image for Leicester, London and Athens and exhibited the Third Woman Interactive film in Vienna, Xian and New York. He runs the Stanza poetry group in Bristol.

“The Coffin Path is a book of poems and photographs that surge and pulse with life. Exquisitely crafted, the poems are tender, unflinching, great swirls of language that transport me into the magical lands of West Penwith. Black and white images punctuate the poems or maybe the poems punctuate the images — either way there is a musicality at work here that is assured and inspiring. I felt my spirit swell when reading this book.” Ayson Hallett “I felt a dizzying sense of freedom after reading these poems, the way they honour the wild beauty of West Penwith’s far coastline and so much embedded personal history. ‘The force of memory/ rushes over an edge/ & sweeps me/ down the long drop.’ There’s a sense of ‘the energy of saints’ in the salted miles of air, sea, stone, and wondrously prolific natural world, all caught in exacting language, and an exuberant, vibrant tone. Fabulous.”Dr Rosie Jackson“To say that the poet knows West Penwith does not go nearly far enough; I would say rather he has lived it. This collection demonstrates that, in traversing this well-loved landscape, Rieser’s observations of its topography, its plant life, and wild life, have been detailed and thoughtful, just as his understanding of the landscape resonates with deep-seated spiritual significance.”Abigail Otley