Magnolia

"Magnolia" by Nina Mingya Powles, published by Tin House Books. Finalist for the 2021 RSL Ondaatje PrizeFinalist for the 2020 Forward Prize for Best First CollectionA Chicago Review of Books Best Book of the Month & a Lit Hub Most Anticipated Book of the YearMagnolia, Nina Mingya Powles' exquisite debut poetry collection, pushes the borders of languages & poetic forms to examine memories, myths, & the experiences of a mixed-race girlhood. From Aotearoa to London, from Shanghai to New York City, these poems journey across shifting, luminescent cities in search of connection: through pop culture, through food, through vivid colors. Scenes from Mulan, Blade Runner, & In the Mood for Love braid together with silken tofu & freshly steamed baozi. At the heart of the collection is ''Field notes on a downpour,'' a lyrical sequence that questions the limits of translation & our ability to understand one another. Alone, the speaker recognizes that “certain languages contain more kinds of rain than others, & I have eaten them all.”Full of hunger & longing for a home that can embrace a person's complexities, Magnolia draws on every sense to arrive at profound, yet intimate insights, & introduces readers to a brilliant new voice in poetry.Nina Mingya Powles is the author of several poetry zines & chapbooks, including Girls of the Drift & field notes on a downpour, & Tiny Moons, a food memoir. In 2019, she founded Bitter Melon, a poetry press that publishes handmade chapbooks by Asian writers. Her debut collection of essays, Small Bodies of Water, was published by Canongate in the summer of 2021. Magnolia was a finalist for the 2020 Forward Prize for Best First Collection, the 2021 RSL Ondaatje Prize, & the New Zealand Book Awards. Originally from Wellington, Aotearoa New Zealand, Nina currently lives in London. Book details: 104 pages, published 2022. Order now on BookShops.in with fast, reliable delivery across India.