Even prior to the publication of Faye Boland’s debut collection of poems (contained in this volume, Peripheral) her poetry had already drawn praise within literary circles.
"Faye Boland’s poetry is a happy combination of musical lyricism and intellectual subtlety. This combination produces poems that are charming and fascinating, which will compel readers to read and re-read them many times. This book will continue to fascinate all its readers during the years to come," according to Dr Brendan Kennelly, Irish poet and novelist.
"Recounted from an eclectic range of perspectives, Boland's poems chart a restless search for home, for purpose. A judicious collection in an era when people feel increasingly disconnected from their own sense of worth," said fellow poet and Kerry native, Eileen Sheehan
The title poem, Peripheral, was overall winner of the Hanna Greally International Literary Awards in 2017 and this, in turn, resulted in the publication of this collection. Mary Melvin-Geoghegan, who was adjudicator at those awards, described the winning entry in these terms:
"The economy and freshness of language is riveting (my roof is the sky, the wind my walls, every night it blows the same word: Homeless, Homeless), form as scaffold, arrests the eye and ear. Each word is a volley of intent, like an espresso shot of thought that catches the heart off guard. We’re called to attention in the fluency of the poet’s intent, Boland’s style reminding of the Scottish poet, John Burnside…"
Faye Boland’s poems are enjoyed by many for their freshness and vivid descriptions of life and the world around her, that offers so much if only we can learn to appreciate it.
"We can almost smell the place she calls home; she makes it so real," remarks Matt Mooney in The Galway Review … and few would disagree.
