Description
Mop top tree an inspiration for poetry and song-writing
by Donna Kelley
TN160 Dec 23
Vanessa I. R. Craven is a poet, author, artist and singer-songwriter who lives in Daylesford, Victoria, having made a treechange from Melbourne where she worked as a health sciences librarian.
She has built an eco-friendly house and enjoys living in this beautiful area.
Vanessa initially hales from Mussoorie, a hill-station in Northern India in the Himalaya Mountains, where she was born and lived for 25 years.
Music, art/painting, photography and writing are her loves.
Her father was Welsh and her mother North Indian, and both were teachers.
She owes much to them for fostering a love of literature, art, music, photography and writing.
As a writer, a recent highlight is her first self- published book, Birds in My Tree: The Magic of Birds and the Joy of Singing.
As a poet, Under the Mop Top Tree is her second self-published book.
Some of the poetry has been turned into songs and some remains as poems.
The title of this book comes from the Mop Top Tree in the front garden.
Its shady boughs in summer and the bare branches in winter provide ideal conditions for the inspiration of poetry and song-writing.
The poems in this book are divided into the sections of facts, fantasy and foibles.
Poet Ross Gillett says in his foreword: “There is a whole life being lived in the pages of this book.
“Relationships between family member and friends, and between lovers are at its core, as too is the natural world of sky and trees and birds and the realms of experience which memory and loss open up for all of us.
“Grief at the passing of parents, as well as profound attachment to a loved pet, are registered alongside a joyous and often humorous sense of day-to-day living.
“A deeply felt concern for the victims of war and injustice is another thread woven through the poetry in Under the Mop Top Tree, the entirety of which is characterised by an open-hearted embrace of what it means to be alive in this complex and multi-horizoned age.
“Vanessa Craven has produced a collection of poems that will relate to the lives of a wide range of readers.”
ABOUT THE BOOK
Xiii, 97pp soft cover Illus 230mm X 155mm
There is a whole life being lived in the pages of this book. Relationships – between family member and friends, and between lovers – are at its core, as too is the natural world of sky and trees and birds and the realms of experience which memory and loss open up for all of us. Grief at the passing of parents, as well as profound attachment to a loved pet, are registered alongside a joyous and often humorous sense of day to day living. A deeply felt concern for the victims of war and injustice is another thread woven through the poetry in Under the Mop Top Tree, the entirety of which is characterised by an open-hearted embrace of what it means to be alive in this complex and multi-horizoned age. Vanessa Craven has produced a collection of poems that will relate to the lives of a wide range of readers.
Ross Gillett
About the author
Vanessa I. R. Craven is a poet, author, artist and singer songwriter who lives in Daylesford, Australia, having made a ‘tree change’ from Melbourne where she worked as a Health Sciences Librarian. She has built an eco-friendly house and enjoys the joy of living in this beautiful area.
She hales from Mussoorie, a hill-station in Northern India in the Himalaya Mountains, where she was born and lived for 25 years.
Music, art – painting, photography and writing are her loves.
Her father was Welsh and her mother North Indian, and both were teachers. She owes much to them for fostering a love of literature, art, music, photography and writing.
As a writer a recent highlight is her first self-published book, “Birds in My Tree: The Magic of Birds and the Joy of Singing.” Never would she have imagined that she would publish a children’s book, but here it is. Covid lock-downs had a part to play in allowing her the time to appreciate nature, particularly the vibrant bird life around her. She just needed to stop and look around her, and as a result this book had to be written.
The book is aimed at 4-8 yr. old kids, families, primary school teachers, libraries and singing groups. The book is loaded with colourful photographs of local wild birds, a bright tuneful song, with music notation at the back of the book plus guitar chords and a bonus YouTube link to the song performed by the author and the wild birds. It is available for purchase directly from the author orXlibris,Barnes and Noble andAmazon. So here it is!
Author Round Up You Tube Video Link – with Xlibris
As a poet,“Under the Mop Top Tree” is her 2nd self-published book. Some of the poetry has been turned into songs and some remain as poems.
The title of this book comes from the ‘Mop Top Tree’ in the front garden. Its shady boughs in summer and the bare branches in winter provide ideal conditions for the inspiration of poetry and song-writing.
The poems in this book are divided under the sections of ‘facts’,‘fantasy’ and ‘foibles’. Enjoy Available for purchase from the author (soft cover only), E-books and hard copy : Xlibris e-books , Barnes and Noble and So here it is
She has jointly published poetry and short stories with the Moorabool Writers Craft via three Anthologies, “Writings from the People’s Republic of Moorabool”, “Writings from Moorabool Writer’s Craft” and “Cry of the Curlew : Moorabool Writer’s Craft Anthology”, and a new one soon to be published in 2023 titled, “The Mists of Moorabool” So here it is!
