The Unexplored Ocean

In this striking collection Catherine Fisher mixes vivid and particular poems about the Welsh landscape such as ''The Four Seasons'' and ''Field-walking'', with historical monologues such as ''Incident at Conwy'' and scenes from myth like ''Merlin on Ynys Enlli''. With an archeologist''s care, she sifts her imagery from the past and examines it in minute, careful detail. The title sequence, based on the journals of James Hartshill, a traveller on the voyages of Captain James Cook in the south Pacific in the eighteenth century, is a triumph of her technique. The famous explorer''s stubborn and heroic character and his adventures in the perilous frozen wastes of the Antarctic and among the natives ''sudden and dangerous as children'' of the lush Pacific islands are marvellously portrayed."She writes imaginatively, bringing dead things to life, boldly placing them in the present world"Planet"I am conscious here of the quality of passion implicit in her work, and the exciting prospect of the future for a writer who clearly has so much more to say"New Welsh ReviewCatherine Fisher is the author of three volumes of poetry for Seren: Immrama, The Unexplored Ocean and Altered States. She is also a novelist for children; her books include The Conjurer''s Game which was shortlisted for the Smarties prize in 1992 and has been serialised on Radio 5. She works as a teacher in Newport, Gwent.