Take Me to the Edge by Katya Boirand

I love poetry. I know, I know, you don't expect that from a crime fiction lover, but what can I say? I have a sensitive side. So I'm feeling pretty spoiled at the moment, as today I have another collection of poetry to review, and one more coming up in a few weeks. Thanks to the lovely Anne Cater at Random Things Tours for inviting me on the tour and to the publisher for my review copy.

The Blurb:

FIVE  WORDS IS ALL IT TAKES TO PROVOKE A CHAIN OF CREATION.

That is what Katya Boirand discovered the first time she asked a friend for five words and then turned them into a poem, using the words and the subject as her inspiration. This spark started a movement, and soon Katya was asking friends and strangers alike for their five words of choice. Take Me to the Edge is a selection of these poems, sitting alongside a portrait of each subject, in this stunning and joyous celebration of language, connection and art.

Take Me to the Edge was published by Unbound on 16th May 2019. It is available from Waterstones, Amazon and other good booksellers. 

My Review:

Poetry is so hard to review because it is so subjective. Of course, all reading is subjective, but I feel poetry is more so, as it is usually designed to cause an emotional response, sometimes within a few short lines. And this collection is no exception. 

It comes from a great idea. Boirand asked family, friends and strangers to give her five words, and a little information about themselves. She then composes a poem, inspired by them, featuring their chosen words. In about 5 minutes. No, really. She has collected hundreds inspired by people all over the world, and this volume contains twenty-nine poems, inspired by people who mean something to the author, including her mother, sister and brother. 

It's a beautifully presented collection. A slim, hardback volume each poem is presented on a right hand page, accompanied by a portrait of the subject on the left hand side. The pictures were taken by photographer Eli Sverlander and they are gorgeous and varied. The poems themselves are short, but impactful. 

Not every poem touched me, but I enjoyed them all. I especially  liked the brevity, as they still said all they needed to. I personally related better to The 'straight talking' ones, rather than the more imaginative ones, but that's how I like my poetry - real and raw. I  marked the ones that reached out to me, and there were a few, as you can see from the photo below! 

Interestingly, I found that my favourite pictures tended to accompany my favourite poems! I enjoyed so many, but would highlight the ones inspired by Naurija Ziukaite, Matt McCabe and Imogen Prowse. I have quoted the last one below, to give you an idea of the beautiful writing. The five words given were 'branch, drop, hope, arrow, blade' and this is the result: 

Walk the blade edge

Swing from the highest branch

Ride the fastest arrow

Drop from the moon

And land among the stars

Never lose hope

You are almost there!

Isn't that gorgeous? This book was just a treat for me and I really enjoyed it. Several poems touched me, but I enjoyed them all, and loved the concept of the project. One wee niggle I had was that I had to flick to the back of the book for the subject's bio and word choice. Personally, I would have liked to see those together with the relevant poem and photograph. But this is a fairly small quibble. Overall, it's a beautifully presented collection of beautiful poetry. 

The Author:

Katya Boirand is an actress, dancer, writer and poet. She has travelled the world but now has roots in London. 

Take Me to the Edge is her first poetry collection.