Moon Base One by Jemma L. King
Parthian Books
Published 2nd October 2025.
Moon Base One is an extraordinary collection of poetry born from the most profound of human experiences - love, loss, and the fight for life itself. When poet Jemma L. King learned that her unborn son faced life-threatening conditions, her world unravelled. In his first fragile months, she turned to poetry to make sense of the impossible, asking: what happens before we begin, and what happens when we meet our most significant endings? Spanning centuries and continents, this breathtaking collection moves through time and space - from the icefields of Antarctica to the Salem Witch Trials, from ancient Greek myths to the neon-drenched visions of Warhol and McQueen. King's verse travels to the stars and back, interrogating the boundaries of existence, the fragility of life, and the fierce power of motherhood. With exquisite lyricism and unflinching insight, Moon Base One is a meditation on survival, rebirth, and the ever-unfolding mystery of what it means to be alive. A cosmic, deeply personal journey that pulses with wonder, it reminds us that even in our darkest moments, we remain part of something vast, luminous, and filled with possibility. Jemma L. King won the Terry Hetherington Young Welsh Writer of the Year Award and was shortlisted for the Dylan Thomas Prize, the Wales Book of the Year Prize and the Sundress Prize for her haunting debut poetry collection, The Shape of a Forest. Her breathtaking second collection, The Undressed, was inspired by a cache of antique nude photographs of women returning voices to those previously lost to history. The first prize winner of the 2024 International Cambrian Mountains poetry competition, Jemm's latest work has been published by magazines including Acumen, Littoral, and Seaside Gothic. Moon Base One is her third collection. Jemma lives with her husband, son and dog in the Welsh countryside.
Moon Base One is an extraordinary collection of poetry born from the most profound of human experiences - love, loss, and the fight for life itself. When poet Jemma L. King learned that her unborn son faced life-threatening conditions, her world unravelled. In his first fragile months, she turned to poetry to make sense of the impossible, asking: what happens before we begin, and what happens when we meet our most significant endings? Spanning centuries and continents, this breathtaking collection moves through time and space - from the icefields of Antarctica to the Salem Witch Trials, from ancient Greek myths to the neon-drenched visions of Warhol and McQueen. King's verse travels to the stars and back, interrogating the boundaries of existence, the fragility of life, and the fierce power of motherhood. With exquisite lyricism and unflinching insight, Moon Base One is a meditation on survival, rebirth, and the ever-unfolding mystery of what it means to be alive. A cosmic, deeply personal journey that pulses with wonder, it reminds us that even in our darkest moments, we remain part of something vast, luminous, and filled with possibility. Jemma L. King won the Terry Hetherington Young Welsh Writer of the Year Award and was shortlisted for the Dylan Thomas Prize, the Wales Book of the Year Prize and the Sundress Prize for her haunting debut poetry collection, The Shape of a Forest. Her breathtaking second collection, The Undressed, was inspired by a cache of antique nude photographs of women returning voices to those previously lost to history. The first prize winner of the 2024 International Cambrian Mountains poetry competition, Jemm's latest work has been published by magazines including Acumen, Littoral, and Seaside Gothic. Moon Base One is her third collection. Jemma lives with her husband, son and dog in the Welsh countryside.
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