Bodies float in rapture, and in death, transported by waves of pleasure, or lapped by failure, fallen, having flown too close to the sun. The poems in this collection are at once macabre and ecstatic, probing the body by means of metaphysics and transcendence through pure sensuality. They describe the disintegration of story that occurs in the face of false love or faith, revealing the ironies, the non sequiturs, the sacrifice. Witty and bereaved, Floating Bodies offers a complex interweave of intimate and public moments, turning again and again on the same question: can suffering be said to have meaning? {Guernica Editions}

Julie Roorda's poems and short stories have appeared in publications across Canada, and her previous books include a collection of short stories and two volumes of poetry. In addition to writing fiction, she works as a writer, editor and researcher with the University of Toronto and the University Health Network. Wings of a Bee is Roorda's first novel for young adults.

Julie Roorda's profile page

• Long-listed, ReLit Awards