Are you ready to safari into a world of shared experiences, empathy and the transformative power of connection?
The Amygdala Safari is a breathtakingly colourful and vivacious collection of poems for younger readers ready to celebrate the wonder of emotions and becoming. This bright book is an odyssey through the hidden world of feelings, from the joy of discovering who you are and feeling seen, to the bravery of overcoming adversity, and the enormous unseen and conquering power of resilience. Told through profound candour and a beautifully unique and empathetic gaze of quiet noticing, this book is perfect for readers ready to explore their developing sense of self-hood, kindness, compassion, and walking in someone else's shoes.
De Keyser champions the strength of vulnerable sincerity, kindness, and honesty, in poems that are warm, inclusive, and inspiring. The Amygdala Safari reveals that some of the more challenging emotions we experience, such as anxiety, insecurity, or loneliness, are universal, and her fearless, reassuring words provide a safe space and voice for readers' feelings while fostering and affirming a sense of joy within a shared community. The characters in the poems learn from their hardships rather than being defeated by them, and this motivates readers to develop a strong and healthy sense of self-respect and identity.
A gem of a book for children, young adults, and the young at heart!
Autorentext
Carmella de Keyser is a prize-winning British poet, known for explorations of identity, and the liminal spaces of human experience. Her writing spans both adult and children's poetry. Founder of Harlow's first Poetry Society Stanza, judge for the Harlow Poetry Open, she is committed to the democratisation of poetry and is an active figure in the contemporary UK poetry scene. De Keyser has five books published or forthcoming, from Hedgehog Press, Alien Buddha Press, Parlyaree Press and the Seventh Quarry Press. Her accolades include winning first prize for the Hedgehog Poetry Press Pamphlet competitions of 2024 and 2025 and achieving over 100 of her poems published in respected journals such as The Madrid Review, The Hooghly Review, Dream Catcher: International Arts Journal, The Dirigible Balloon, and Dust Poetry Magazine amongst others. She has had her writing selected for podcasts and radio shows including for the BBC and has had the honour of having had her poetry widely anthologised including by the prestigious publishing house Macmillan.