Shoulders of Giants, written by Penarth poet, artist and holistic therapist Alba Linden, has been praised by critics as ‘strong and emotive,’ ‘elegant,’ and has ‘a lovely use of language.’
Despite a successful career in the arts and holistic therapy, Ms Linden said writing has always been her first love.
Ms Linden said: “I grew up in a creative family, who were always encouraging in various artistic ways of expression.
“I was reading and writing at an early age, and I loved writing poems and short stories.
“When I turned nine, I got a typewriter for my birthday, which became a treasured possession.
“My uncle was also a poet, and I only recently realised how much he encouraged and inspired me as a child.”
Shoulders of Giants features 27 poems that explore the depths of loss and grief to the highs of finding new love.
Ms Linden credits fellow Welsh-based writer Sophie Buchaillard as the inspiration behind publishing her work.
She said: “I was reading Painting over the Cracks by Sophie Buchaillard, and it had a huge impact on me.
“It inspired me to revisit my old poems, and it gave me the courage to take the next step of reclaiming my voice.
“Shoulders of Giants centres on the journey through loss, grief and losing oneself within relationships to eventually finding clarity, strength and gentle rebirth.
“Poetry is like an abstract painting; people will interpret it differently, and I love that.”
Ms Linden is also an advocate for LGBTQ+ awareness and also hosts creative writing and art workshops.
Her poetry collection is available from Griffin Books in Penarth, as well as online through Amazon in both paperback and Kindle formats.
More information about her work can be found at albalindenauthor.com.
