'Last of the Cake'

Alison Mace has written poetry all her life, more extensively since givng up full-time teaching. She spent the whole of her working life in West Yorkshire but now lives in the Forest of Dean, , She is married and has three adult daughters. Alison studied English at Bristol University, and during her teaching career had a sabbatical year at York University, where she gained an M.A. studying the role of counsellors in Shakespeare’s plays. More recently, she studied creative writing at Sheffield Hallam University and obtained a second M.A.

Her first collection of poems, 'Man at the Icehouse', was published in 2019 by The High Window Press..

'Last of the Cake' is in two parts: with the first ten poems subtitled 'Centenarian'. Their theme is the long life of a beloved uncle. The 14 poems in the second half of the collection are poems on a variety of themes,

'These tender, well-observed poems bring their subjects vividly to life and the sequence about a centenarian uncle is particularly moving. Although mostly anchored in the everyday, the poems in this pamphlet don’t shy away from the darker aspects of life. Alison Mace writes clear-sighted, accessible poetry that is notable for its humanity.'
                   — Stephen Claughton

'Writing in the tradition of Hardy, Frost and Larkin, Alison Mace has a formal perfection and control that is increasingly rare in contemporary poetry. Whether she is facing mortality head on or celebrating life, her poems are distinguished by their clear-eyed focus and the seemingly effortless way she sustains her cadences across the twists and turns of syntax. Quietly eloquent and conversational in tone, Alison Mace’s poems are underpinned by her innate grasp of poetic technique. However, beyond that, she writes poems that are true to experience, timeless and, above all, memorable. ‘
                       — David Cooke, editor of The High Window 

‘In this collection, Alison Mace uses superb poetic craftsmanship to encourage her readers to pause and reflect on what matters in life. Her nature poetry uses fine detailing and exquisite language that is reflective of Manley Hopkins.  Her character studies, especially of the elderly, are both tender and vivid. An astute observer, she takes everyday events and uses them as a springboard for a deeper dialectic on what it is to be human.’
                            — Fiona Sinclair

'Last of the Cake'by Alison Mace
published 1st July 2020
Paperback
14-8 x 21.0cm
40 pages
RRP £8.00
​