Aoife Mannix's latest full collection begins with a series of poems that chronicle her recovery from cancer and surgery. In the wake of physical and personal transformation, the seemingly reliable constant of the outside world is in turn transformed by the global pandemic. Between these two antagonising poles of personal health and a world shut off by lockdown, motherhood becomes a source of constant discovery and uncompromising love. As Mannix looks back at moments within her own childhood and teenage years, the realms of fantasy and imagination spill over into experiences of the present, from alternative takes on the land of Oz to a lament for the small, human connections that may be forgotten in the wake of future environmental collapse. Throughout this collection, Mannix's voice remains intimate, personable and raw. With its startling and precise images never overpowering her need to speak with clarity and trust for her reader. These poems are testament to the stabilising powers of love, empathy and imagination in the face of uncompromising and unpredictable circumstances.
Aoife Mannix is an Irish poet and writer who was born in Sweden. She grew up in Dublin, Ottawa and New York before moving to the UK. Her poetry collections include The Elephant in the Corner (2005), Growing Up An Alien (2007), Turn the Clocks Upside Down (2008), and Cocktails from the Ceiling (2013). She is also the author of a novel Heritage of Secrets (reissued 2023) and several libretti. Her pamphlet Alice under the Knife won the James Tate Poetry Prize 2021. She has been poet in residence for the Royal Shakespeare Company and BBC Radio 4's Saturday Live. She has toured internationally with the British Council and throughout the UK and Ireland. She has previously worked as a script editor for the BBC, as well as for Channel 4 and the Royal Court Theatre. She has a PhD in creative writing from Goldsmiths, University of London.
In reading Aoife Mannix's book Reconstruction I am reminded that Virginia Woolf has talked about illness being a portal to self understanding. Of course for the past two years of the pandemic we have all had to deal with the concept or prospect of becoming ill or perhaps even dying; but this is a book that includes not just the psychological tensions of fear and adaptation but also the physical adjustment and struggles of adaptation to new realities. With epiphany and self reflection Mannix digs fearlessly into her relationship with her body and her family; all the while her excavation of illness and it's proximity to death being a stark and artistic reminder to celebrate life. Aoife Mannix's book Reconstruction in doing so adds to the canon of illness in literature in a significant way. An important book for all especially in a time when illness and reconstruction have been so much a part of our current focus. - Roger Robinson
