Wearing My Mother's Heart

Description

From acclaimed performance poet Sophia Thakur comes a powerful new collection of poems about what it means to be a woman, intergenerational relationships, finding your voice and learning to speak out. To my children I will say Let the river break between your lips... In her lyrical and heartfelt second poetry collection, Sophia Thakur takes us on an emotionally charged journey through the past lives of women and considers what it means to be a woman in today's society. Exploring topics such as identity, race, politics, relationships, mental health and self-love, she weaves together the voices of a grandmother, mother and daughter, and examines how past generations have given us the freedom to speak out. Encompassing love, from first crush to break-up, the history that comes before us, and the brave moments that make us, this collection will resonate with all young women as they approach the joys and pain of adulthood and learn to navigate life.

Sophia Thakur won her first poetry award at 18, and since then she has performed at Glastonbury, Stylist's Remarkable Women Awards, international conferences, and given multiple TED talks. She is a youth ambassador for the betterment of young black girls, and has worked with charities including Cancer Research UK, and with brands such as MTV, Samsung and Nike. Sophia also worked with Walker Books in 2017 to create a piece of poetry inspired by The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas called "Poetry for the Mandem". Sophia combines words with fashion, sport, music and social responsibility to push the traditional boundaries of poetry. In 2019, Sophia published her first collection of poems, Somebody Give This Heart a Pen, to great critical acclaim, Angie Thomas saying: "One of the most brilliant and necessary voices. The power of her words will affect generations."

The stories of her foremothers are woven into the work; she celebrates their strength and bravery. * Books of the year: Best new poetry of 2022, Irish Times * A wonderful affirmative message for young women as they approach the joys and pain of adulthood and have to learn to navigate life. Highly recommended. -- Joy Court * LoveReading4Kids * "[..] beautifully written collection [...] A wonderful affirmative message for young women as they approach the joys and pain of adulthood and have to learn to navigate life." * Love Reading * a beautifully written collection of poems suitable for older children with great discussion points being raised. * NetGalley * A beautiful collection of poetry which speaks deep to the soul of the reader. The imagery conjured by the poet evokes a feeling of deep rooted identity and family history through the lens of motherhood. * NetGalley *