The Henkeeper’s Almanac is an artists’ book. It contains a poem and a painting for each month of the year.
The notion hatched as poet Jean Atkin prepared to leave twelve years of henkeeping on a smallholding and asked artist Pamela Grace to work with her to record it, in all its weathers and feathers.
‘A beautifully produced pamphlet and a ‘must have’ for all henkeepers, this collaboration between poet and painter makes a delightful and rewarding read for anyone.
There are many felicities in the spare and well-crafted poems, such as the unforgettable description of finding a clutch of eggs ‘warm to the hand / like a satin slip / just taken off’ or the image of the cockerel as he ‘spurs his way / up the hill’.
The paintings are alive to all the changes of season, and the different breeds of hen are depicted with satisfying accuracy while retaining their individuality and presence on the page.’
Review by Joy Howard, Grey Hen Press.
And it’s delightful to be able to tell you that the poem March Araucana from The Henkeeper’s Almanac, has been anthologised by Candlestick Press in Twelve Poems About Chickens. You can find it here.
The Henkeeper's Almanac 