Roots, Lizzie Parsons

Roots by Lizzie Parsons is a collection of poems, illustrated and bound by the author, weaving between trees to seaweed, through soil and water. In this zine Parsons speaks directly to the reader as well as to each plant and its roots, the roots we need but don’t see. Common, yellow ochre seaweed is playfully recognised as medi-ochre but still deserving of a vibrantly illustrated poem, and she wonders how many poems there are about potatoes, sharing her recipe for them, loosening from the earth — “one tattie, nestled like an egg”. It’s a pocket sized delight and we welcome more poems about potatoes and seaweed.

Lizzie Parsons studied Creative Writing at UEA, where she won a competition for her short story Regeneration. Since then she has studied Environment, Culture and Communication MLitt at University of Glasgow, with which she began High Street Writers in Dumfries with support from The Stove Network.

You can see Lizzie Parson’s work at www.lizzieaparsons.co.uk and buy her chapbooks in her Etsy shop.