The Weight of a Feather

by Stephanie Ní Thiarnaigh

82 pages, Paperback

Published August 31, 2024

Reviews

[Jay Green · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is what poetry should be: a powerful, socially engaged art form capable of inducing novel insights by illuminating its subject matter from tangential or oblique angles, opening up a dialogue to contest, question and subvert settled opinion, whether that opinion concerns the lies of the British state and its instruments or the definition of poetry itself. Stephanie Ní Thiarnaigh achieves these goals effortlessly, sometimes playfully, but always with serious and impressive intent. A must-read.

[Marc Mac Ós · Rating 5 out of 5]

Powerful poetry collection that shines a light on the Ballymurphy massacre where the British state forces shot down innocent civilians in cold blood. The reader is called to bare witness at a court of devine justice as where the hearts of those responsible are weighed against the Feather of Maat, the Egyptian godess of truth and justice. Ní Thiarnaigh’s poetry is innovative in form and every word is a devastating blow against the injustice that occurred in August 1971 in Belfast. Highly reccomended.

[Ciarán Hodgers · Rating 5 out of 5]

Quite frankly one of the finest poetry collections I've ever had the pleasure of reading, masterful use of language with a deft historians' and activists' vision creates an honestly astounding and necessary collection.

[Abhainn Connolly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Heartbreaking and vivid — the impacts of this collection still haven’t left me. An absolutely stunning debut that explores justice, hidden histories, and collective memory. It is truly striking, and a must-read.

[Molly Ferguson · Rating 5 out of 5]

The concept and execution of this collection was compelling! The conceit of the ancient Egyptian belief of weighing a heart against a feather was beautifully illustrated in the opening poem, "Incident I: The Priest and the Teenager" (a title that made me think it was about something VERY different!). I also love Layli Long Soldier, so the resonance with her work was neat. Having just been to the Free Derry museum recently, I knew some of this history but not specifically Ballymurphy, so the average person might need a bit of additional context. At times, Ní Thiarnaigh's humor comes through, such as the line, "Francis Quinn did not stash a gun and have a quick costume change before his autopsy." I particularly enjoyed the folklore of the Morrígan in "Morrígan waits on Whiterock Road" and also the fun of the "Ballymurphy Buzzfeed Quiz" and the closing arc of the "Ballymurphy Poetry Prompts". Ní Thiarnaigh might be even sharper in prose - definitely an Irish writer to watch!