Tunth-sk

Bold and experimental both in style and content, the poems of ‘tunth-sk’ have a life of their own – the images feel like they’ve been glimpsed through a gap in a fence line, the language like an eavesdropped conversation. In turns, funny, erotic, shocking and innocent, ‘tunth-sk’ establishes Emma Hammond as a distinct voice within the poetical landscape, unafraid of exploration, in turns playful and provocative.

There is something about the imaginative control exercised by Hammond, coupled with metaphorical daring, that makes you read on. The poetry is wild and unsettling but also cool and convincingly modern. This is the poetry of lived experience, but also of lived writing. Though seemingly utterly spontaneous it is also very self-aware. As if it is the most natural thing in the world, she manages to capture the life of the mind, even as it captures the movements of the world. Surprise is the engine of a good poem and Emma Hammond never fails to provide this element. She is the real thing. – Hugo Williams