Faber has announced the acquisition of Dwell, a new illustrated poetry collection by Poet Laureate Simon Armitage. The collection, set for release on May 8, 2025, will feature artwork by Cornish printmaker Beth Munro. Editor Lavinia Singer secured the UK and Commonwealth rights from Kirsty McLachlan of Morgan Green Creatives.
A Poetic Tribute to The Lost Gardens of Heligan
Inspired by the famed Lost Gardens of Heligan in Cornwall, Dwell delves into the thriving ecosystem of this reawakened landscape. The collection captures the intricate movements of life within Heligan’s woods, meadows, and jungle-like terrain. These poems are not only literary reflections but will also take physical form through installations, recordings, and sculptures placed within the gardens.
The book highlights both the richness and fragility of these spaces. According to the synopsis, Dwell warns of environmental threats facing these landscapes and their inhabitants while also celebrating the garden as a place of refuge. “Just as a garden provides sanctuary for wildlife, so do these intricate poems offer lasting homes to those who dwell within their lines,” the synopsis states.
A Call to Slow Down and Observe
Armitage describes the collection as a meditation on both nature and time. “If Dwell is about ‘the garden’ as a sanctuary or refuge, about the locations we must provide and safeguard if we are serious about coexisting with lives other than our own, its simultaneous meaning is as an encouragement to slow down and spend time with ideas,” he explained.
Editor Lavinia Singer emphasized the collection’s alignment with Armitage’s ongoing advocacy for environmentalism and nature writing. “A significant part of Simon Armitage’s laureateship has been the championing of environmentalism and nature writing. Enriched by the art of Cornish-based printmaker Beth Munro, its pages instil genuine wonder at these ‘particular and occasionally peculiar’ dwellings, offering irresistible advocacy for their respect and protection,” she said.
With its fusion of poetry, art, and environmental consciousness, Dwell is set to be a significant addition to Armitage’s body of work, further cementing his role as a literary voice for nature and conservation.
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