Eleanor Among the Saints
Poetry Book Society Recommendation Spring 2024
Highly Commended in the Forward Prizes for Poetry 2020
Shortlisted for the Michael Ramsey Prize 2019
In her second collection, Mann wrestles with the questions and possibilities raised when trans identity, faith, and the limits of myth and language intersect and are tested. "Eleanor Among the Saints" is a study in the queer joy found in counter-factuals and fantasy, shaped through the prism of the disputed story of Eleanor Rykener, a medieval trans woman, seamstress, and sex worker.
Highly Commended in the Forward Prizes for Poetry 2020
Shortlisted for the Michael Ramsey Prize 2019
In her second collection, Mann wrestles with the questions and possibilities raised when trans identity, faith, and the limits of myth and language intersect and are tested. "Eleanor Among the Saints" is a study in the queer joy found in counter-factuals and fantasy, shaped through the prism of the disputed story of Eleanor Rykener, a medieval trans woman, seamstress, and sex worker.
About the author
Rachel Mann is an Anglican parish priest and writer. She was Poet-in-Residence at Manchester Cathedral between 2009 and 2017 and is the author of five books, including "Fierce Imaginings: The Great War, Ritual, Memory and God" (DLT 2017). She is Visiting Fellow in Creative Writing and English at Manchester Metropolitan University. Her poetry was anthologised in Carcanet's New Poetries VII (2018).