Bantam brings three generations into sharp focus – Jackie Kay's own, her father's, and his own father's – in a book that shows how the body holds its own story: how a shrapnel injury from the First World War can emerge years later; how we bear and absorb the loss of others; how we celebrate and welcome new life; how we how we embody our times, whether we want to or not.
The poems collected in Bantam cross borders, from Rannoch Moor to the Somme, from Brexit to Bronte country. Who are we? Who might we want to be? These are poems that sing of what connects us and lament what divides us; poems that send daylight into the dark that threatens to overwhelm us – and could not be more necessary for the times in which we live. Jackie Kay was born in Edinburgh. She is the third modern Makar, the Scottish poet laureate. A poet, novelist and writer of short stories, she has enjoyed great acclaim for her work for both adults and children. She is the author of collections of stories with Picador, Why Don't You Stop Talking, Wish I Was Here, and Reality, Reality; a poetry collection, Fiere; and most recently her memoir, Red Dust Road. She is Professor of Creative Writing at Newcastle University, and lives in Manchester, where she is currently Chancellor of the University of Salford. Bantam, a poetry collection from Jackie Kay, the Scottish Makar, is a collection about the fighting spirit, at a time when we need that spirit more than ever.
