Manuscript formatted for IngramSpark Hardback 6x9 - Copy

Faded Belonging is fundamentally a work of memory and identity. It deals with family history, childhood, ancestors, and the unsettling feeling of losing one’s place. The poems here are rooted in specific landscapes — the North East of England, Ireland, and the adopted homes where belonging remained elusive. The themes are heavy, intimate, and often melancholic: the passing of generations, the confusion of moving from a close-knit community to a new environment, and the definition of what it means to be ‘at home’. The collection is a lament, but also a celebration of those who came before, preserving their stories and dialect in verse before they fade entirely. The poetic strength of the collection lies in its ability to evoke absence and longing. Poems from the section on schooldays memories are happily reminiscent, while others masterfully convey the ache of being an outsider. There is a powerful use of repetition and refrain to emphasise the central motif of fading — fading memories, fading connections, and the fading of the self in a new environment. The structure is often traditional, using rhyme and rhythm to anchor complex emotions, making difficult feelings accessible and memorable. The preservation of family stories and characters gives this volume a unique historical value; it is poetry as archive.