Movement, displacement, instability, change – these are a few of the themes artist and poet Anne Swannell delves into in Shifting, her remarkable new book of poems. Divided into sections on Shape, Time and Direction, in Shifting the poet wryly observes the changing landscape of her own existence to reveal the universal qualities of a human journey where only change is constant. From an impromptu wedding in Haida Gwai to poetry readings in odd locations from deserted homesteads of the Cariboo Trail to the timeless beauty of Vancouver Island’s Sombrio Beach, with stops in Mexico, Italy and Wales – Swannell unites her artist’s eye and poet’s ear to reflect both detailed intricacies and the massive undercurrents of a succession of shifting moments. With painterly clarity as well as wisdom, compassion and humour Anne Swannell draws a world where change and motion give life to colour and meaning.

Born in London, England, Anne Swannell moved to Canada as a child, eventually settling in Victoria, BC. She is the author of two previous books of poetry, Mall and Drawing Circles on the Water, and a children’s book The Lost Kitten of Toledo, which she also illustrated. She has published in numerous literary periodicals and has taken part in solo and group exhibits. Poems from Shifting were featured as part of art/poetry performance at the inaugural Pacific Festival of the Book, Victoria, BC, 2007.

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