Candlestick Press is a small, independent press publishing beautiful Instead of a card poetry pamphlets. Based in Nottingham in the UK, weve been making our mini-anthologies since 2008 and have now sold over 915,000 titles which means that weve shared over nine million poems with our readers all over the world.

There is probably more poetry about birds than about any other insect or animal, as if theres something in the nature of a bird that makes it particularly suited to the small and intense space that is a poem. This delightful anthology is a second edition of one of our most popular titles and includes some beautiful new poems. It opens up a captivating world that exists in parallel to our own and will be relished by birders and poetry lovers alike.

The ten selections are little miracles in themselves, capturing the quirks of habit or appearance that distinguish one species from another. Never anthropomorphic, they imagine what the vivid life of a bird must be, or tease out what it is that thrills or moves us when were surprised by a bird as we hurry about our lives.

ForKathleen Jamiethe wheeling flight of swallows captures a life lived in brightness and freedom, while forKatrina Porteousa skylark is:

all the music the heart needs,
Full of its sudden fall, silent fields.

from Skylark by Katrina Porteous

Our pamphlets are supplied with an envelope for posting, a bookmark for a special message and an Instead of a card sticker to seal the back of the envelope for a lovely finishing touch.

Paperback | 20 printed pages