This book is a collection of poetry* by seven young people** at [past & present] the Amber Project in Cardiff, a Church Army project working with youth at risk of self-harm. The poems in the collection reflect this, and draw heavily on themes of one's own self in relation to mental and bodily wellbeing, exploring trauma, identity, renewal and growth; I bought a copy of this not out of artistic interest but genuine solidarity as the creativity unleashed by these brilliant young people at Amber is truly inspiring. I went to see their pantomime with colleagues from the Church Army head office over Christmas and it was SO FUCKING DOPE, LIKE - I've never actually enjoyed a pantomime until I saw theirs and even beyond enjoying it blew me away with how funny, confident, clever and subversive the whole thing was. Anyway I'm rambling about a pantomime but in all honesty several of the poems in this collection brought a tear to the eye & a lump to the throat also; and further some others are resonant with sheer determination to overcome their struggles and grow into the joy they've found through community, creativity, and hope. Definitely some rough stuff in here so major content warning for mental health and self-harm theme in poetry, but builds on these elements to make an overall booklet that is life-affirming to a grand degree, and I'd heartily recommend getting a copy if there's any left.***
* Didn't want to figure out where to mention this in that horrendous run-on sentence but it also has some lovely intricate illustrations by Aimee Taylor
** Ryan, Nicki, Channing, Louise, Adam, Hanna & Maryanne
*** All proceeds go toward the Amber Project's work with Cardiff's youth.
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