We are delighted for Jemma Borg, whose new collection of poetry, The Illuminated World, is due to be published by Eyewear Publishing later this year. Speaking about the road to publication and her experience with TLC, Jemma said:
I came to TLC after winning the New Writing Ventures award for poetry back in 2007. I had a very rough manuscript of poems at that stage but was clear about who I wanted to work with – Don Paterson – and TLC were able to arrange that for me. I’m extremely grateful for the mentorship as it has been instrumental in my working process from then to today. It taught me to be much harder on myself during the editing process, but ultimately it was a perfect combination of criticism and encouragement. On the back of the mentorship, I was awarded a residency at the Banff Centre in Canada where I was able to put the manuscript of my collection together. The journey from manuscript to published book was quite a lengthy and at times frustrating process, the manuscript being held up for several years in one place, but what I’d learned on the mentorship was key in keeping my faith going. Eventually, a publisher – the new London-based outfit, Eyewear – came on the scene and pursued me for a manuscript, which was instantly accepted. I’ve then been lucky in seeing the book brought out very rapidly.
Advance praise for The Illuminated World:
‘There is no doubt in my mind this is the real thing, a breathtaking collection.’ Selima Hill
‘[The poems] exhibit an extremely attractive way of regarding the world, and are not afraid to be emotive, aesthetic and metaphysical, replete with myths and jewels.’ Peter Forbes.
‘To say that Jemma Borg’s background as a scientist rings clearly in her poems makes them sound dry – they are anything but. It is simply that to language and imagery she brings a scientist’s precision and care: this, in combination with an artist’s heart, is rare. These varied poems display a keen interest in human responses and an individual’s reaction to a complex world.’ Erica Wagner.
To read more, and to pre-order a copy, visit the Eyewear Publishing website.
To read more about the TLC Mentoring scheme, click here.
