Parch

The poems in Menna Elfyn's new collection offer a voice to those whose liberty or dignity have been undermined, seeking religious, linguistic and cultural tolerance for all, and not shying away from the effects of (in)humanity on our environment, histories and lives.

In Welsh, 'parch' (the 'ch' is guttural) simply means respect. But it is also the common word for a chapel minister (a 'reverend'). Menna Elfyn's collection explores the many ways in which respect can be expressed, as well as how our world can so often feelparchedof simple kindnesses.

Glimpses of parch in action reveal the best of who we are. Humour found in difficult times, solace in shared grief or steadfast defiance in the face of oppression. Following many years of campaigning, Menna Elfyn is moving towards her own sense of resolution as the Welsh language is now accepted and respected as an official language in Wales. In this hybrid poetry collection the first of its kind from Bloodaxe she has translated or written many of the original poems in English, now describing herself as a 'proud bilingual'.

Menna Elfyn shares Herta Mller's belief that 'holding one's own language up to the eyes of another leads to a solid relationship, a relaxed kind of love'. This distils the essence ofParch: respect as refuge; the triumph of compassion over conflict.