Swell

by Unknown Author

Brought to you by Penguin.

Eloquent and uncompromising, Swell explores the triumphs and hardships of the journey to new motherhood – through pregnancy, miscarriage, birth and beyond

In the consultation room I stared
at the purple flowers in their purple
vase and imagined my
an ocean, a cave, a storm.

Maria Ferguson’s second poetry collection is a raw and powerful documentation of one woman’s experience of becoming a mother. Against a backdrop of the sounds and sensations of daily life, she longs for her own mother's embrace, observes as her body changes and charts a course through loss and wilting house plants toward recovery, empowerment and renewal.

Tender, direct and winningly witty, Swell distils the poet's complex feelings surrounding family and domesticity, exploring the contending weight and levity felt as she contemplates a thrillingly unfamiliar new chapter. Ferguson is a poet as alert to the absurd as to the shattering, and these are large-hearted poems, full of life and thought. Together, they invite the listener to join them in a search for self-acceptance, for freedom from shame, and for a path to stability in increasingly uncertain times.

Genres: Poetry

Audible Audio

Published January 30, 2025

About the author

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Reviews

[Claire · Rating 4 out of 5]

I bought this after seeing Maria speak at Hollie McNish's show. There were about 6 unforgettable poems in here, but I liked them all.

[Lisa O'Hare · Rating 5 out of 5]

Once I started reading this I could not put it down. Beautiful honest & emotional college. Delicate and powerful in perfect measure.

[Suzy Purse · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you for your words through my miscarriages. You have inspired me to write and it has helped me so much.

[Sapphire Allard · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful, felt like reading a novel where you miss the characters at the end when I finished, rather than a collection of disjointed poetry

[Nicky Crabb · Rating 5 out of 5]

A brilliant second collection- raw, moving, funny, and disarmingly honest. The different sections follow her journey towards motherhood - each poem carefully crafted yet feeling like she is sat right next to you chatting over a cuppa about her losses, life and loves. If you get a chance to see her perform live, do.

[Cooch · Rating 4 out of 5]

Four and a half stars

I enjoyed the lively humour of these poems, which at the same time tackle the more serious side of motherhood and trying to have a baby. There are some very good poems here.

[Sofia Singer · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5

[Mollie D · Rating 5 out of 5]

Motherhood and womanhood in words. A real, raw and relatable poetry collection that spoke so much truth to me as a mother.

[Mol D · Rating 5 out of 5]

Motherhood and womanhood in words. A real, raw and relatable poetry collection that spoke so much truth to me as a mother.