In the shape of his hand lay a river

In the shape of his hand lay a river is Iona Winter’s fourth collection, and part of a body of work written after her son, prolific musician, Reuben Winter took his life. Here, through a poetic lens, she asks unanswerable questions, while embodying a multiplicity of emotions, and we are called to look at the ineffable absence of a beloved child. Winter’s work around suicide bereavement and grief is honest, powerful and fearless, reminding us that love and pain, must always coexist.

Iona Winter perfectly captures the pain and confusion that is grief. I often felt like these poems were speaking directly to my personal experience. Can’t recommend this book highly enough – Dominic Hoey

In the shape of his hand lay a river emerges from a practice of living that speaks impossible truth. Laced with beauty and an urgency to change our culture, Iona Winter’s words compels me to listen to the dead, and the living. – Rushi Vyas

i tenei pukapuka maia ka whakahoki mai I te hunga mate, a, ka ora ano te tama. He memene ma nga roimata. – Vaughan Rapatahana

These poems bring us a rhythm in living with loss; the reader is carried along the flowing awa, through torrents, confluences and tributaries. – Michelle Elvy

Format: Paperback
Pages: 92
Imprint: Small New Zealand Publisher
Publication date: 30/03/2024