Mapping the Contours

Nimue Brown

Jul 16

Mapping the Contours is a poetry collection from some years ago, which I self-published. I've been swapping books with David Bridger a fair bit this year - we're writing together and getting to know each other's work has been part of that process. So, this isn't an impartial review, but on the other hand, as a Druid and speculative fiction author David is very much the sort of person I hope would find my work resonant.

"I became aware of Nimue Brown one year ago, through her non-fiction books, the first one I read for research purposes being her "Druidry and the Ancestors - finding our place in our own history." I found her mind impressive. Then I read some of her fiction, and found her creativity hugely impressive too.

Then she reviewed one of my novels, and then a second, and then we started talking, and then we became friends, and then we decided to co-author a fantasy series. It's an exciting and thoroughly enjoyable collaboration in a creative relationship that has grown, and continues to grow, organically.

Now, for the first time, I've read her poetry. In her collection, Mapping the Contours, Nimue explores place and relationship in her life along the Cotswold edge. This is her, "...walking myself into the landscape, and walking the landscape into myself."

It's remarkable poetry. I read it slowly, then re-read it even more slowly, taking many individual poems in it as either mini-meditations and visualisations, or as starting points for deeper meditations.

I am grateful for this. Opening into my consciousness as it did at first with Nimue's characteristic humility, it quickly became quite possibly the most meaningful collection of poetry I have ever read.

Mapping the Contours, Nimue Brown, published by the author 2018"

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You can pick up the ebook version for free from my ko-fi store - https://ko-fi.com/s/8e7caa2cfc

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