Rachel Long, who was mentored on the Jerwood Arvon Mentoring Programme in 2015, has been nominated for her debut collection My Darling from the Lions. Long was mentored by Caroline Bird in 2015, who has also been nominated for the award.
Each poem has a vivid story to tell – of family quirks, the perils of dating, the grip of religion or sexual awakening – stories that are, by turn, emotionally insightful, politically conscious, wise, funny and outrageous.
My Darling from the Lions by Rachel Long
Caroline Bird, who was a mentor on the Jerwood Arvon Mentoring Programme in 2015, has been nominated for her book The Air Year.
The Air Year is a time of flight, transition and suspension: signatures scribbled on the sky. Bird’s speakers exist in a state of unrest, trapped in a liminal place between take-off and landing, undeniably lost. Love is uncontrollable, joy comes and goes at hurricane speed. They walk to the cliff edge, close their eyes and step out into the air.
