DownloadThe Portobello Bookshop Gift Guide 2024

Soul Food

Nourishing Poems for Starved Minds

Neil Astley editor Pamela Robertson-Pearce editor

Format:Paperback

Publisher:Bloodaxe Books Ltd

Published:24th May '07

Should be back in stock very soon

Soul Food cover

This anthology offers a diverse selection of poems that explore themes of existence and spiritual nourishment, making Soul Food a profound literary experience.

The anthology Soul Food presents a rich collection of poems designed to nourish both the mind and spirit. It draws inspiration from a variety of literary traditions, featuring the works of renowned poets such as Rumi, Kabir, Blake, Rilke, Emily Dickinson, and Paul Celan. This curated selection not only highlights celebrated contemporary voices but also introduces readers to lesser-known writers from diverse backgrounds and eras, creating a tapestry of poetic expression.

Opening with reflections on human existence and spiritual nourishment, Soul Food invites readers to ponder essential questions about life. The anthology begins with Rumi's poignant lines, setting the tone for a journey through themes of self-discovery, connection to nature, and the quest for understanding the divine. Each poem serves as a reminder of the various ways we seek to sustain ourselves emotionally and spiritually, offering insights that resonate across different beliefs and experiences.

As readers engage with the poems in Soul Food, they find universal themes that speak to the human condition. This collection serves as a source of comfort and inspiration, demonstrating how poetry can address our deepest yearnings for meaning, especially during times of uncertainty. It emphasizes the idea that art can be a vital source of sustenance, providing nourishment for the soul in moments of spiritual hunger.

'These poems illuminate the path of life.' - Rachel Campbell-Johnston, The Times 'These poems will reconnect you with happiness, kindness, beauty and joy. They will teaqch you how to be here, now, fully aware and alive... Buy this book! You will be investing in happiness for days - and even dark lonely nights - to come.' - Anne Ashworth, Universalist: The Journal of the Quaker Universalist Group 'A friend gave me a copy of Soul Food as a gift... I thought it was so good that I gave it away to another friend within a matter of days, and bought myself a new copy, which I also gave away... I continue to buy copies for friends... I have read this book through from beginning to end a number of times now, and each time I am left with my spirit uplifted and a wondrous sense of warm joy in my soul. Not only is each poem fine, but reading the whole collection reads feels like the privilege of sharing another human's spiritual journey for a while.' - Henry Morgan, The Merton Journal 'Soul Food is an extremely attractive book. Of all the books lying about my house, more visitors have been drawn to wanting to borrow this than any other... It contains work by many of my favourite poets, but more importantly it whets my appetite with new discoveries... I recommend buying copies to keep and give away.' - Chris Kinsey, Envoi ‘Soul Food, like another Bloodaxe anthology, Do Not Go Gentle: poems for funerals, captures the elusive overlapping oval in the Venn diagram of poetry-that-is-serious and poetry-that-breaks-your-heart.’ – Martin Wroe, Church Times

ISBN: 9781852247669

Dimensions: unknown

Weight: unknown

160 pages