Preorders have opened for my first poetry collection, ahead of the official book launch later in the month. ‘INSIDE AND OUT’ is a new mummy’s response to motherhood and a shifting socio-political landscape. The publication examines world politics and current affairs or the ‘Outside’, and what this means for parents and their children in ‘Inside’, with cover art from my 2-year-old daughter.

“Just because we have a baby doesn’t mean we can’t think about big things anymore, does it?”

Preorder your copy today and receive a free ebook! 

“Since my daughter arrived in 2017, I have had difficulty in reconciling the special bond and precious journey of motherhood with the seemingly never-ending negativity of the media and politics. At the same time, I feel that I can’t completely ignore what’s happening. I owe it to my daughter to be aware of the huge shifts in world affairs, and take an active role in the democratic process without letting it eat me up from the inside. These poems are a vehicle for trying to understand a mother’s role in an Irish and global context.”

The 40-page paperback collection includes eight poems and one short story. ‘Inside & Out’ is self-published with the support of Meath County Council Arts Office and Creative Ireland. This book costs €10 from fionasherlock.com, Amazon and Etsy. 10% of all profits will be donated to Unicef’s Yemen Emergency Appeal. The work will formally be launched on Friday 28th February at a reception in the Solstice Arts Centre, Navan, at 6.30pm.

The first half of the though-provoking 40-page book, Outside, imagines a scaly bootlegging snake as the Irish Border. From this light-hearted consideration of Brexit implications, the subject matter circles closer to my heart. In Fenian’s in Heaven, I imagine Ireland’s dead heroes ribbing each other from a heavenly tavern. A B sees the world leaders from a simplistic children’s perspective. 

Moving to Inside, the pain of going back to work after having a child is teased out in Leaking. As we sit on the environmental cliff edge, in The Crows of Bective Abbey, I consider what the future holds for my children. 

Preorder your copy today and receive a free ebook! 

Join us for the official launch at the end of February!