A new collection from one of our most distinguished poets, painting a portrait in verse of two iconic female figures poised between history and legend, and unravelling the millennia of myth men have woven around them to explore the notion of girlhood itself.

Autorentext
Ruth Padel is a prize-winning poet, author of thirteen acclaimed poetry collections and prose works including much-loved books on reading contemporary poetry, a travel-memoir on wild tiger conservation, and a study of the influence of Greek myth on rock music. Awards include a British Council Darwin Now Award, a Travel Bursary and Cholmondley Award from The Society of Authors, and First Prize in the National Poetry Competition. She is Professor of Poetry at King's College London and a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature.

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A f**resh and questioning look at girlhood and its icons, unravelling the millennia of myth woven around girls.**

'A sensual exploration of two female archetypes' Guardian
'One of our most gifted poets ... This is tender and exquisite poetry' Mona Arshi, author of Small Hands

In Girl, Ruth Padel presents a triptych of interlocking sequences. A moving retelling of the Christian story transforms the Virgin Mary into a girl in a Primark T-shirt, facing a life shaped by divine will. Unearthed from the Cretan labyrinth, a prehistoric Snake Goddess is reshaped at the hands of a male archaeologist.

Between these evocative figures, myth turns personal. Delicately crafted lyrics, sometimes taking adventurous shapes, explore snapshots from the poet's own life blended with archetypes from India, European fairy tale, ancient Greece and Urban Dictionary: girl as soul, girl as creative energy, girl as the sacred power of nature, vulnerable but unstoppable. 'Listening to the snowmelt / of the patriarchy', Girl is an urgent, revelatory work for today.

**A Poetry Book Society Special Commendation

'Dazzling' Kim Moore, author of All the Men I Never Married**
'Beautiful' Linda Gregerson, author of The Selvedge