When 42 went to print early in 2022, I was done. After a year of writing, editting, website making, book creating – I. Was. Done. 42 was utterly the dream made real and holding the pages in my hands was more than enough. Then there was the newspaper article, the radio interview… followed by the photos and messages which came after she made her way onto shelves and coffee tables across England, Ireland, Scotland as well as Wales. She then crossed seas to USA and the Middle East. I wasn’t going to do any more/anymore…until…
Ms Gray had other ideas. Whereas 42 was ‘a snapshot’ of a year and everything that eclectically converged within those 12 months, the story was not really complete. ‘Wilding of this Hagstone Heart’ and ‘Breathing Without Oxygen’ were already taking shape long before the ink on 42 had dried. If writing, self publishing and launching one book was euphoric in 2021; working on two in utter synchronicity was reckless indulgence in 2022. Pushed to the limits of what is actually possible is my go-to zone and there with the internal and external support teams, the new collections raged into being.
And so on the edge of January 2023, itching to clamour their way into hands, rest on shelves and find new eyes and minds, ‘Wilding of this Hagstone Heart’ and ‘Braething without Oxygen’ are ready to find their way to you.
From their very earliest days, these were always going to be separate collections but cohesive in their stories. They reach back many years before the realms of 42 and stretch wider than the immedicacy of that year. ‘Hagstone’ for me, is much more introspective, whilst ‘Breathing’ looks out into the wider society. They will, of course, ultimately be whatever their readers chose them to be.
As with 42, they are a celebration of humanity, of integrity, love and connection – what else is there to believe in?
Perhaps where 42 was a balm for the fractured world we found ourselves navigating in 2021, ‘Hagstone’ and ‘Breathing’ are a little more of a call to arms for ourselves to protect, appreciate and celebrate everything we value at all costs.
With evergreen affection,
E x