“A greeting that not only gives great pleasure but illuminates our lives – like a message in a bottle”—Robert McCrum, writer and editor

“Ten Poems about Walking” is a title in the “Instead of a Card” series, based on the idea that sending a greeting card is a lovely gesture, and sending a booklet of poetry an even more meaningful one.

There seems to be a natural connection between walking and poetry. For William Wordsworth, the regular rhythm of walking was a stimulus to writing, and he said that “nine-tenths of my verses have been poured out in the open air.”

This beautiful mini-anthology contains William Wordsworth's heart-stopping “Old Man Traveling” alongside contemporary poems that capture the delights of a walk with a dear friend and of walking in solitude. There’s a poem about setting off through city streets to find a river and a heron, and another featuring a surprising encounter on the top of Helvellyn.

One by one then as a whole, these poems remind us that being on foot is one of the best ways of experiencing the world:

Sole self I bedded down close as I could
To listen: lapping, birdlife homing, settling …

from “Lake” by David Constantine

Each pamphlet is gorgeous both inside and out, beautifully produced with a cardstock cover, Ex Libris bookplate, and a bookmark gift enclosure with space for an inscription to the recipient.

With a cover created by a leading contemporary artist and poems hand-picked to speak to every kind of reader, each “Instead of a Card” title offers a richly rewarding reading journey. Produced using biodegradable and sustainable materials.

Poems by Matt Clegg, David Constantine, Sasha Dugdale, Choman Hardi, Karen McCarthy Woolf, Stephanie Norgate, MR Peacocke, Stephen Watts, William Wordsworth, and Samantha Wynne-Rhydderch.

Dimensions 5.5" x 8.25"; 16 pages