Not a poetry book, but a book about a poet.
Until now, there has been no book about the Manx Bard.
Promoting the Isle of Man by public appearances and through poetry, the Bard's job is varied and wide-ranging. During 2017-8, Sara Goodwins served as the fourth Manx Bard and has written My Year as Manx Bard, describing the highs and lows of her bardic year.
Like the time she was all geared up to go to an event which no-one had told her had been cancelled.
Or nearly had the Bardic staff confiscated as a dangerous weapon.
Or when she had to address the audience of The Gaiety Theatre from the stage.
Or was invited to be an after-dinner speaker where half the audience had eaten so well they went to sleep.
With full-colour illustrations of the inspirational Manx countryside, and containing some of the poems Sara wrote during her bardic year, My Year as Manx Bard is 96 pages long and costs £9.95.
You’d be wrong to think verse boring,
Spurning it for wasting time;
Verse expands ideas, exploring
Everywhere by means of rhyme.
But the Bard’s job’s more than writing
Shaping text to rhyme and scan,
It’s promoting and highlighting
All that makes the Isle of Man.
If you want more information
On the Manx Bard, take a look –
There’s no need for speculation
As it’s all here, in this book…