Wild Cinnamon & Winter Skin

by Seni Seneviratne

Offering a poetic landscape that echoes themes of migration, family, love, and loss, this collection of poems reflects the author’s personal journey as a woman of Sri Lankan and English heritage. The poems cross oceans and centuries, traveling from colonial Britain to Ceylon in the 15th century and back to Yorkshire in the 20th Century. Elsewhere, time collapses and carries her from a 21st century Leeds back to the flax mills of the 19th century and another poem, based on childhood memories, places her in 1950’s Yorkshire but echoes links with her Sri Lankan heritage.

Genres: Poetry

64 pages, Paperback

First published July 1, 2007

Reviews

[Andrew · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm glad I finally got round to reading these lovely poems; I've probably had the book since it was published 10 years ago! The settings range geographically from Yorkshire, Sri Lanka and South Africa. The poems are written mostly from the poet's own point of view, and occasionally from that of the subject, usually a relative of hers. Most are set during the poet's lifetime, with some others looking back over her family history. The style is straightforward and understandable, but elegant and lyrical. I recommend it strongly!