Hymnal

by Julia Bell

This unique memoir in verse offers a series of snapshots about religion and sexuality. In verse because it's how Bell snapshots in words strung along a line, which somehow constitute a life. Snapshots of another time from now, but from a time which tells us about how Bell got here. Not the whole story, but her story.

Genres: Poetry

112 pages, Paperback

Published October 2, 2023

About the author

Librarian note: there are multiple authors with this name on Goodreads.

I was born in Bristol but raised in Wales (I can speak Welsh!) and have published two novels for young adults - Massive and Dirty Work, both published by Macmillan in the UK. In the US Massive is published by Simon and Schuster and Dirty Work by Walker Books. Massive has also been translated into ten languages, including Thai! I also wrote and co-edited the bestselling Creative Writing Coursebook while I was working at the University of East Anglia, which is also published by Macmillan.

I am a Senior Lecturer at Birkbeck, University College of London where I teach on the MA Creative Writing and co-ordinate the annual publication The Mechanics' Institute Review and the new web portal The Birkbeck Writers' Hub.

I am currently working on my fourth novel - Bad Faith - and collaborating on work for the screen.

Reviews

[Alan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautifully detailed account of the growing up pains and joys of the lesbian daughter of an evangelical vicar in Wales in the 70s and 80s. So, a memoir, but in verse. Bell says that's how her memory works: 'small snapshots in time'. Of course we get many biblical/churchy references - donkeys, fishermen - on a trip to the Holy Land with some of the congregation - 'We look at her nicely because her husband died last year: tied an anchor/ round his neck, and leapt, and we must suffer for those whom Jesus saves.' And at the Eisteddfod, 1975: 'These are the people we have come to tell/ they need to know they are going to hell.' But also learning Welsh, Weight Watchers, Chernobyl, Thatcher (her father thinks she's great). Lovely stuff.

Disclosure: me and Julia are friends (she was in the writing group I attend in the 90s/noughties until she moved, first to UEA, Norwich, and now teaching at Birkbeck, London).

[Callum · Rating 2 out of 5]

Didn’t love this unfortunately. The verse reads more like broken line of prose than poetry.

Little snapshots of her upbringing with her parents on the west wales coast.

Did not finish as at over halfway I still hadn’t read anything that captured my attention.

[Zareen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Once I began reading her memoir in Verse I felt compelled to finish it. Some of the sights are familiar. I could identify with her very easily. It is an extremely engaging memoir & also gripping and authentic.