Parkhurst author finds writing poetry therapeutic

Parkhurst author Gail Dendy said poetry spoke to her from a young age.

“When I was five, I received my first-ever prize at school which was a children’s nursery rhymes book. For me, poetry expresses things in a way that ordinary language cannot,” she added.

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Dendy revealed her latest book published in January, On Days Such as This, is her eighth book of poetry.

“My latest book was engendered by a deep, personal trauma, so writing it was an act of catharsis; a way of setting my world to rights.”

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The author added her latest work demonstrated technical and linguistic mastery and genuine philosophical depth.

“This book weaves its stories backwards and forwards through time and place. There is insight, sensuality, reflection, surprise, and humour as discovered through various personae – be it a tender mother, a heartbroken widow, or a male poet wrestling with writer’s block, as well as in objects such as an old chest of drawers, a bronze-age trumpet, or a piece of string.”

She added, “[I try] not to make it too personal since what’s good for the author, psychologically, can be uncomfortable for the reader of literature. So although many of the poems in this book sound personal, they are almost entirely fictional.

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“The book [On Days Such as This] seems to be doing very well, as poetry goes. I’ve had super feedback from people in Australia and the United Kingdom.”

The author said besides being an author, she was also a guest judge at poetry competitions.

“It’s a great honour to have been asked to judge the 2022 South African National Poetry Prize competition. I’m excited at having the opportunity to see how creative South Africans are.”

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