>> My very favourite book of 2012 so far is Ruth Padel’s The Mara Crossing. Even the cover is gorgeous.
It’s a really lovely series of reflections on migration, be that animal, human or avian, in which Padel writes a short essay on a topic which then sets off a number of poems on that subject. It’s scientific, lyrical, factual and dreamlike all at the same time. A really wonderful piece of writing.
Of course, it made sense for The National to be interested in it, with the large migrant population in the Emirates, but by the same token it really struck a chord for me in terms of how Padel encourages people to reflect on who they are and where they’re from. Having been away from Norfolk now for longer than I actually lived there, it set off all sorts of interesting thoughts about the notion of home, too.
Click here to read the full interview with Ruth Padel in The National
