The breath held or expelled in wonder, frustration or delight energises Emma Neale's writing. Poems in The Truth Garden take risks because they need to; in the clamour of family life they have required attention, collected thought and a spirited attitude. How else to "stockpile time, how hoard its shine", except in poems drawn from relationships, home and garden and cast in words that "spill like incandescence around your hands". (Cilla McQueen, 2011 Kathleen Grattan Award judge). This is the fourth book in the series arising from the Kathleen Grattan Award for Poetry. The award was established with a bequest by Jocelyn Grattan, in memory of her mother, who was a poet, journalist and editor. Each book is produced with attention to the traditional qualities of fine book production, in typography, illustration, design, paper and binding. This book was illustrated by Kathryn Madill and designed by Fiona Moffat.
