Women in Comfortable Shoes

Selima Hill grew up in a family of painters in farms in England and Wales, and has lived in Dorset for the past 40 years. She received a Cholmondeley Award in 1986, and was a Royal Literary Fund Fellow at Exeter University in 2003-06. She won first prize in the Arvon International Poetry Competition with part of The Accumulation of Small Acts of Kindness (1989), one of several extended sequences in Gloria: Selected Poems (Bloodaxe Books, 2008), which also includes work from Saying Hello at the Station (1984), My Darling Camel (1988), A Little Book of Meat (1993), Aeroplanes of the World (1994), Violet (1997), Bunny (2001), Portrait of My Lover as a Horse (2002), Lou-Lou (2004) and Red Roses (2006). Violet was a Poetry Book Society Choice and was shortlisted for all three of the UK’s major poetry prizes, the Forward Prize, T.S. Eliot Prize and Whitbread Poetry Award. Bunny won the Whitbread Poetry Award, was a Poetry Book Society Choice and was also shortlisted for the T.S. Eliot Prize. Lou-Lou and The Hat were Poetry Book Society Recommendations. Her most recent collections from Bloodaxe are The Hat (2008); Fruitcake (2009); People Who Like Meatballs (2012), shortlisted for both the Forward Poetry Prize and the Costa Poetry Award; The Sparkling Jewel of Naturism (2014); Jutland (2015), a Poetry Book Society Special Commendation which was shortlisted for the 2015 T.S. Eliot Prize and was earlier shortlisted for the Roehampton Poetry Prize; The Magnitude of My Sublime Existence (2016), shortlisted for the Roehampton Poetry Prize 2017; Splash like Jesus (2017); and I May Be Stupid But I'm Not That Stupid (2019). Men Who Feed Pigeons (2021) was shortlisted for the 2021 Forward Prize for Best Collection, the 2021 T.S. Eliot Prize, and the Rathbones Folio Prize 2022. Her 21st book of poetry, Women in Comfortable Shoes (2023), is a Poetry Book Society Recommendation.

• Fishface25 My Mother with a Pair of Scissors25 The Green Bear26 Ponies26 The Boiled Egg26 Good Morning, Reverend Mother27 Wasps27 Real Cherries27 Edith28 The Blessed Virgin Mary’s Ears28 Melted Chocolate29 What Other Things?29 Mother Mary30 Mountaineering30 People in Taxis31 What to Wear in Bed32 My Mother on the Verge of Tears32 Lambs33 Clocks33 The Man in the Veil34 The Toot of the Jag34 The Word Laburnum35 Rounders35 Ants36 This Nasty Chair36 Switzerland37 Fishface37 Zvuv38 NotesMy Friend Weasel40 Perfection40 The Plait40 The New Assistant Matron41 Flamingos41 The Daughter of the Chauffeur42 My Mother Visits My Father42 Gravel in Our Hair42 The Pilot43 Those Who Love Their Fathers43 The Queen43 What We Do After Church44 One Hot Day44 Tennis44 Horses45 The Shimmering Plains of Africa45 Golf46 Out of Reach in Their Enormous Coats46 Hula-hooping on the Log-shed Roof47 Rabbit Pie47 Hairbrushes47 Brigitte Bardot48 Summer Term48 Sherbet Lemons49 People at a Cat Show49 Mosquitos49 Lights Out50 My Friend’s Uncle’s Tortoise50 Young Ladies50 Rudolf Nureyev’s Hair51 Swimming in the Lake51 Sunday52 Mothers, Mothers, Mothers52 Candelabra52 Summer53 Violets53 Fleas53 Marriage54 Mouse54 End-of-term Concert55 Train55 Toilets, Waterloo Station55 Uzbekistan56 The HouseSusan and Me59 The New Girl59 Her Bedside Locker59 The Horse60 Her Late Mother’s Mason Pearson Hairbrush60 Like Painted Barges60 Without Sin61 A Man with a Palm62 The Love of One Potato for Another62 The Blood-stained Mower63 Disobedience63 Her Green-and-white-striped Dress64 The Lesson64 Sailing65 Acne65 Flapjacks65 Pig66 Her Father’s Car66 The Art Galleries and Churches of Central Europe67 Her Little Suitcases67 Along the Fringes of This Dazzling World68 Bedsit68 Solid as a Rock69 Curd69 Tinned FishDolly73 When I Was a Girl I Was Adorable73 Mother Mary74 Olivia on the Coach74 Mrs Potter the Cook75 Georgina’s Mother75 My Friend Eva76 Lucinda in the Wood76 Great-Aunt T.77 Miss Gee, Matron77 Bernadette Upstairs78 Doctor Kay78 Mrs Lawrence, Landlady79 Sophia, Prefect79 Cousin Helen79 Miss de Vos, Headmistress80 Marta My Room-mate80 Kitty in Term-time81 The Woman on the Mountain81 Mrs A., Abandoned81 Carlotta, the Pianist82 Lizzie, Widow82 Jean, Out-patient83 My Friend Annie84 Edna in the Loo84 Penny in the Opposite Bed84 Billie My Rival85 Angelina, My Tutor85 Isabel, My New Boss86 Dr Davey86 LindaMy Mother with a Beetle in Her Hair88 Owls88 My Uncle the Doctor89 My Mother’s Hands90 The Man with Tiny Books90 Winter Afternoons at the Pool91 My Mother Wearing More than One Coat91 The Pool Attendant at Night92 The Man Who Looks Like a Baby92 The Woman from the Nail Bar93 Walnut93 The Girl Who Stroked Cows94 Her One Desire94 The Stranger on the Bus95 Different Kinds of Honey96 My Mother’s Daughter96 The Bony Woman with the Tiny Waist97 My Mother and the Sheep97 Looking at Each Other’s Breasts in the Changing-room98 My Mother as a Daisy98 Café in the Snow99 The Man with Snow-white Skin100 A Woman with a Bunch of Red Roses100 Having Fun with Babies101 An Old Man Blue with Cold102 The Woman with the Plait102 Rabbits103 Friday Night at the Swimming-pool104 The Man in Purple Swimming-trunks104 The Photograph of My Dog in My Duffle-bag105 A Very Dark Blue105 The Silent Couple No One Really Knows106 The Woman in the Salmon-pink Underwear106 Delicate Questions from the Young Doctor107 Expensive Swimwear108 No More PotatoesFridge110 The Beach110 Rabbits111 Tiny Children111 The Letter112 Other People’s Mothers112 My Father Dreams He is a Lorry113 Men with Saws113 Standing in the Presence of My Father114 My Father’s Roses114 My Father’s Death115 A Dream of Forgiveness115 Kate116 Being Fast Asleep in the Daytime116 J.J.117 M.117 My Friend H.118 Getting Used To It119 Babies with Buckets120 The Person in the Drawing-room120 The Goose121 How To Be Tidy121 Maybe I Should Give It a Try122 My Mother Playing Tennis123 Babs124 The Dead124 Telepathy125 The Room126 Her Being DeadMy Spanish Swimsuit128 The Earwig128 My Little Sister128 The Box of Assorted Plasters129 Tea on the Lawn129 My Father, God129 Betrayed130 Saluki130 Shadow130 Which Is Worse?131 My Pet131 Smarties131 Adults132 My Mother and Small Children132 Courting132 Ringlets133 My Father133 Rabbits133 The Head of the Table134 The Girls in the Churchyard134 My Spanish Swimsuit134 Shoulders134 Yes to the Carpenter135 My Father’s Rabbit135 I’m Sorry It Has Had to Be Like This135 Moths136 My Girlfriends’ Boyfriends136 My Father is Right136 The Lonely Dog in the Empty HouseThe Chauffeur139 Tiny Girls Singing Hymns139 Girls in Shorts139 The Draughtsman140 Fish140 Shells141 The Land of Fun141 My Sister’s Bedroom142 Ducks142 Rotty the Rottweiler143 Smile, Smile143 Marquetry144 I Send My Sister Cards144 Smile, Smile, Smile145 The Wedding-dress145 In the Hotel Bedroom Something Soft146 Hippo146 Ann147 The Suitcase147 Tommy148 Those Who Choose Not to Have Husbands148 Our Sparkling Eyes148 Queue149 My Sister’s Nipples149 Tinkle, Tinkle149 Tea-time150 She Moves Away150 Horses’ Ears150 St Petersburg151 The Photograph151 Wild Horses152 Georges152 Lips152 GladioliGirls without Hamsters1 | Dancing Lessons for the Very Shy156 The Visitor (1)156 Dawn156 The Little Beanie157 The Handsome Spider157 Tiny and Forlorn157 The Visitor (2)158 The Sofa158 The Wasp159 The Top Two Things I Like About You159 The Bath (1)159 I Know It Isn’t Right160 Cats in Crates160 The Most Important Thing160 A Person with a Key161 The Visitor (3)161 The Crane161 The Ginger Cat162 Us162 The Fly162 The Suitcase163 Elephants163 The Man with a Pomegranate163 The Coat164 The Giraffe164 The Hat165 Tenderness165 The Visitor (4)165 When I Saw You in the Street I Fled166 Silence166 The Man I Mustn’t Meet166 The Path to the Woods167 Knees167 Although You’re Shy167 The Dachshund168 The Snail168 What I Did When I Saw You Again After So Long169 Swimming at Dawn169 Attention169 The Bath (2)170 Her Only Son170 Violins170 Your Rock171 Peacefully Tucked Away171 My Life With You171 One Hundred Words172 Never Love a Mathematician172 Grasses173 Precious Jewels173 Most of the Time173 Socks in the Snow174 If You Were a Pig174 Everything Makes Me Think of You175 The Enchantment175 Dancing Lessons for the Advanced in Age by Bohumil Hrabal175 The Visitor (5)176 In a Calm Way176 The Person on Our Right176 The Rat177 Articulated Lorries177 The Bath (3)177 The Clock177 Nose178 Shrieks of Laughter from Inside the House178 Completely Out of the Blue2 | My Mother’s Knives180 T.180 Mole180 My Mother’s Knives181 The Older Woman181 T.’s Room182 Bucket182 Please Forgive Me183 Tiers of Expensive Trainers183 I Worry183 The Visitor184 Into the Depths of the Sea184 His Tiny Mouth185 Through the Damp Woods185 Bedtime185 People Won’t Like It186 Chick186 Fish186 Paint187 What Is Longing?187 Beetles187 Heron188 Certain Older Women188 Hope188 A Precious Living Man189 And To Agree189 My Father190 Confessions of a Fly190 The Courting Spider Purrs190 Cranny191 Dreams191 Mouse192 Round and Round the Woods192 If T. Is Like a God193 When Older Women Talk About Their Lovers193 Legs194 Every Time You Move194 Cranefly195 T. on the Beach195 When He’s Quiet195 Dog196 My Obsession with T.196 The Acrobat3 | The Passion Fruit Hotel198 Record-breaking Kisses198 My Mother and Hotels199 The Passion Flower Hotel199 The House on the Hill200 And Be Ye Lift Up, Ye Everlasting Doors200 My Mother Was Right200 The Lovesick Toad201 Crayfish201 Ducklings202 The Goose202 Way Up in the Heavens202 Fathers and Sons203 Honky203 Chandeliers203 Margaret204 Sunday Afternoon at the Beach204 T’s Neck204 What People Think About205 The Slug205 Shoebill206 My Friend T.206 Wiry206 The Holiday207 The Lizard207 The Oyster208 Soft Upturned Bellies208 My Mother’s Voice208 The Woman in Tiny Shorts209 My Boring Uncle209 What I Really Want to KnowReduced to a Quivering Jelly213 The Red MG213 The Fox214 The Blanket214 Quivering Jelly215 A New Pair of Shorts216 Lime-ade217 Men in Shorts217 Duckling218 Oral Sex218 The China Doll219 Walkies219 The Penis of a Large Horse220 The Top of the Hill220 Mother221 Lola221 The Sponge Cake221 The Ambulance222 The Tennis Dress222 The Pearl Necklace223 The Lagonda223 The Question223 The Smell of Cows224 Crying for No Reason224 The Sultan’s Fragrant Concubines225 Truffles225 Yellow Ducks226 The Leotard226 The New Pair of Shoes227 The Silver Hair227 What Vera Needs228 Arboriculture228 Froth229 The Suitcase229 The Lovely Nurses230 Vera in the Bathroom with Her Puzzle BookDressed and Sobbing232 Woman on a Sofa232 Orange Juice233 Large and Small and Medium-sized Facecloths233 The Woman in the Bathroom Mirror234 What’s That Hand Doing in My Sock235 A Grandmother in Jeans236 The Pianist237 Women in Blankets238 A Story about Moose239 The Visitor240 Pies240 Lying on my Back in the Dark241 Forgiveness241 Naughty Girls in Dark Woods242 Suitcase244 Hootie245 How to Attract Men246 The Woman on the Bus247 My Mother’s Naked Body248 Semolina249 Athletic, Chaste, Untroubled249 Divorcee250 Lilies250 Howls of Laughter251 Women in Pyjamas251 Violet252 The Rooms Downstairs252 How to Float253 Little Squeaks253 True Love254 Cheese254 Dressed and Sobbing

The collection is by turns surreal and direct, but always arresting. Her trademark humour is present throughout, but its wit can often surprise the reader, conveying truths in hilarious and sometimes shocking ways. The judges were impressed by Selima's mastery of the portrait in miniature - one of the judges calling her 'the UK's Emily Dickinson'.