An Irish Times Poetry Book of the Year 2021
In The Voyage of St Brendan, A.B. Jackson tells the tale of the legendary seafaring Irish abbot in poetry and prose. After burning a book of fantastical stories, Brendan is compelled to sail the ocean with a crew of six monks in a leather-skinned currach; his task, to prove the existence of wonders in the world and create a new book of marvels. Discoveries include Jasconius the island-whale, a troop of Arctic ghosts, a hellmouth of tortured souls, a rock-bound Judas, and the magical castle of the boar-headed Walserands.
Although the roots of this legend lie in early Irish tales and the Latin Voyage of Saint Brendan the Abbot of the ninth century, Jackson has taken the 14th-century Middle Dutch version of Brendan's voyage as the template for this engaging, witty and spirited interpretation, notable for its humour and inventiveness.
The Voyage of St Brendan is illustrated with a series of black and white linocuts by the American artist Kathleen Neeley.
'In The Voyage of St Brendan AB Jackson’s witty four-line stanzas are as miraculous, inventive and swift-moving as the sea-faring saint himself and beautifully matched by Kathleen Neeley’s linocuts.' – Martina Evans, The Irish Times (Best Poetry in 2021)
‘The Voyage of St Brendan would be a perfect companion for those studying English literature or Medieval history and every sixth form/university should have a copy in their libraries. It is stylish, extraordinary, but most of all just a beautiful read.’ – Emma Suffield, The School Librarian
‘A. B. Jackson’s collection The Voyage of St Brendan finds Jackson in mytho-poetic terrae incognitae with his rendering of the 9th century tale of Brendan and his band of sea-faring brethren… This is an immensely enjoyable, spirited and at times witty collection, boosted visually by the presence of Kathleen Neeley’s striking woodcuts.’ – Richie McCaffery, Northwords Now
A.B. Jackson was born in Glasgow in 1965 and raised in the village of Bramhall, Cheshire. After moving to Cupar in Fife he studied English Literature at the University of Edinburgh. His first book, Fire Stations (Anvil), won the Forward Prize for Best First Collection in 2003, and a limited edition pamphlet, Apocrypha (Donut Press), was published in 2011. In 2010 he won first prize in the Edwin Morgan International Poetry Competition. His second collection, The Wilderness Party (Bloodaxe Books, 2015), was a Poetry Book Society Recommendation. The Voyage of St Brendan was published by Bloodaxe Books in June 2021.
