The Mirror Trade

The title poem on this collection of poetry was written after a visit to Murano, home to the famous Venetian glassmaking industry. The alchemical processes of mirror making become a guiding metaphor for the poet’s explorations. This theme of enticing reflections helps elucidate the subjects of the book, most notably in the series of poems imagining the life of her grandfather, who in his time in the British Royal Air Force lived in India, China, and Iraq. Most of the poems are inspired by the challenges of travel and the need to undermine one’s own expectations. They challenge voices of authority and discover strange tales in strange lands.

Zoë Skoulding is the coeditor of SKALD literary magazine, which she launched in 1994.