The Colour Of Hope is a poetry collection with happiness at its heart.
The 45 poems inside were created during lockdown, at a time when finding
beauty and comfort in the everyday seemed at once fraught with
difficulty and vitally important.
Each was written for a specific recipient, based on three things they
guaranteed would make them feel happy. I received a wonderful range of
briefs. From the beautifully universal - a longing for nature and
freedom, time spent with family, summers spent in other lands - to the
gloriously specific - snaffling a Toffee Crisp from the fridge late at
night, Fleetwood Mac songs, making the perfect scrambled eggs, and
Ceilidh dancing.
The result is a collection of poems that serves both as a record of this
intense and intensely strange year, and as an uplifting reading
experience that will connect and resonate with a much wider audience
than the individuals they were initially written for. 2020 will be one
for the history books, a year that has created emergencies on many
fronts, not least the emotional. 60% of adults, and 68% of young people
in the UK reported a decline in their mental health during lockdown.
Mental health charities are working harder than ever to provide support
to the vulnerable and in need, and every little helps. As such, 20% from
the sale of this book will be donated to Mind, to help provide a bit of
light in these uncertain times.
Hope comes in many shapes and colours, and it's my hope that you'll find
some of your own pieces of happiness, comfort and, yes, hope within
these pages.
