Chine
Within this collection of her poetry, Mimi Khalvati weaves themes rooted in her childhood home, the British Isle of Wight. Through poetry she considers the houses in which she lived, the past coming into focus, and the most memorable feature of the island landscape, the chine – the local name for a feature where a stream has cut through solid rock. These poems also concentrate on family themes that allow Khalvati to demonstrate her lyrical skill while exploring the necessary connections between love in all its forms.
About the author
Born in Tehran in 1944, Mimi Khalvati grew up on the Isle of Wight and attended the Drama Centre, London. She then worked as a theatre director in Tehran, translating from English into Farsi and devising new plays, as well as co-founding the Theatre in Exile group. She now lives in Hackney and is a Visiting Lecturer at Goldsmiths College and a director of the London Poetry School. Carcanet publish her six previous collections, including "In White Ink" (1991), "Mirrorwork" (1995) and "The Chine" (2002).
Reviews
"This brilliant poet's crab-apple tree imparts the same kind of gorgeous and devastating self-knowledge granted Eve by the biblical Tree of Life" – Rafel Campo, Boston Review