Feather, Leaf, Bark & Stone

Feather, Leaf, Bark & Stone is a quiet creature of a book that grew from the silence of lockdown from a desire to play, to see what happens if you type with a typewriter onto gold transfer leaf.

Small, to fit in the hand with ease, or be carried in a bag or a pocket, it is a natural successor to The Unwinding. Here, words revert to their natural form, becoming images, ink on gold, in their islands of leaf. Each sheet is a breathing space.

The book settles into sections – Birds, Hares, Hiraeth, Land, Sea, Sky, Dreams – and some sheets will stand alone. Again, as in The Unwinding, these can be catalysts for dreaming, a focus of vision, a small prayer to the wild. Some connect like a trail of pebbles through a forest. Some are short stories told in gold pages. Through others, I explore my grief for my father who died last year and left me his vintage typewriter. The act of using a typewriter also hones my writing. Each word earns its space (which is what all writing should be).

I’m delighted to have worked once again with the visionary designer Alison O’Toole, who helped me realise The Lost Words and The Unwinding. The book has been a challenge to produce, using photography and natural light for the typed sheets.

The book feels, right now, like a butterfly that has landed, cupped gently in my hands. With the support Unbound offers, and the support of readers who pledge, I can open my hands and look, really look, at that butterfly, with its gilded wings, and let it take flight.

“The curious ramblings of a crazy woman”
Edna Morris (Jackie’s mum)

All copies signed by Jackie Morris

Hardback book 224 pages

Size 141mm x 176mm