Swell

Wry wit and honesty combine to make Swell a compelling narrative of marriage, pregnancy and motherhood. The world of mother and baby groups and “hashtag self-care” enables a rich vein of comic material, but it is emotional exposure and fragility… that makes Swell such a rewarding collection – David Wheatley * Guardian *Deeply relatable… Ferguson draws us in through her down-to-earth cosiness and humour… there is great joy in reading the speaker’s journey toward self-love, the body-as-home… on being beautiful and imperfect – Ellora Sutton * Mslexia *I urge you to read this beautiful collection… The writing is eloquent and astute across many thoughts… Ferguson’s poems offer a radical and contemporary portrayal of an experience as old as time – Alice Ellerby * Juno Magazine *Moving… if you’re after some vivid language, personal honesty and humour, you will enjoy this book – Ruth Aylett * Morning Star *A beautiful, powerful, profound collection of poems. There is an honesty that is both heart-breaking and more hopeful than anything else I’ve read on this subject. She makes me weep and wonder in equal measure – Hollie McNishTender, lyrical, a family mise-en-scene, exploring the tiny narratives that write us. These poems are an umbilical, a feeding. Beautiful – Joelle Taylor, author of C+nto A feat. Both creatively and emotionally – Caroline BirdMaria Ferguson articulates the previously unsayable in these radical, tender poems. Swell gives voice to the full complexity of motherhood - the love next to the guilt, the ambivalence next to joy, even the desire to sometimes run away – Kim Moore, author of All The Men I Never Married These poems have an energy which is infectious. Reading them will make you feel free and fearless - Ferguson shows us how language can give new meaning to our tenderest moments – Helen MortAn extraordinary poetry collection. I found each page and turn of phrase unflinching, vivid and honest. Maria Ferguson is a brilliant poet, a dark and wry and witty poet, who always brings a quiet fury and compassion to the page – Salena Godden

Maria Ferguson is a writer and performer. Her poetry has been widely published and anthologized, and her debut collection, Alright, Girl? (Burning Eye, 2020), was highly commended in the Forward Prize. On the stage, her one-woman show Fat Girls Don’t Dance (Oberon, 2017) won the Saboteur Award for Best Spoken Word Show; Essex Girl (Oberon, 2019) was shortlisted for the Tony Craze Award and won Show of the Week at the VAULT Festival. She has been commissioned by the Royal Academy of Art, Stylist magazine and BBC Radio. She currently lives in Leeds.