Map of the Island

Nigel Darbasie is an acclaimed Edmonton writer who has been widely published in books, textbook anthologies, and magazines. He is a member of the Stroll of Poets and has performed numerous readings at cultural and arts events. His previous volume of poetry sold almost 1000 copies.

"Darbasie takes his readers on an intimate journey that encompasses the "landmarks of [his] fascination," (44) namely the fault lines where one reality collides with another, and identities converge. At once colloquial and esoteric, autobiographical and political, the poems are guided by two main metaphors: music and carnival, two of the island's richest traditions. The collection's "playful romp / among Old World, New World roots" (57) is framed by the overarching metaphor of the island, both a geographical place and a microcosm of the world." Stephanie Heidenreich, Prairie Fire Review of Books (see full review at www.prairiefire.mb.ca/reviews/darbasie_n.html)