Salacia
This accomplished debut poetry collection is a contemporary reflection on mental health, mythology, love and loss.
In these poems, women raise their voices and subvert the age-old tales told on their behalf: Roman goddess Salacia explores her tumultuous relationship with Neptune; Gwen Ellis, the first woman hung for witchcraft in Wales, reflects on her impending fate; a Queen bee is usurped by her daughter and depression visits in the emaciated form of an old and forgotten friend.
Salacia offers a stark and honest exploration of human nature and our fallibility, where the dark and sombre moments in life are as precious as the uplifting ones.
Reviews
These poems are visceral, inventive, with every riff packed to the brim with awe.’
Rhian Edwards
Salacia coaxes sublimity from pain, reminding us that though we may be hurt, we can still be powerful.’
Zoë Brigley
‘Mari Ellis Dunning writes with honesty about mental disorder and the intricacies of depression, but her poetry is charged by the body and the senses.
Anna Lewis
Mari Ellis Dunning 