She, Shapeshifter

She, Shapeshifter is a precise, pointed debut pamphlet from working class, neurodivergent poet Seanín Hughes. At its core She, Shapeshifter considers big themes such as mental health, trauma, death and whether we allow ourselves a chance to grow through pain, or whether, as in Anne Carson: “to be running breathlessly, but not yet arrived, is itself delightful”. “Fuck you all” Hughes concludes in ‘Pretty Vacant’, it is tempting to agree.

PRAISE for She, Shapeshifter:

She, Shapeshifter is a brooding, acerbic pamphlet that sees Hughes exploring motherhood and family from both physical and spiritual dimensions. Through her razor-like poetics, the author pulls herself apart to expose past demons and future anxieties, laying bare truths that are not easily confronted. She, Shapeshifter is a brooding, acerbic pamphlet that sees Hughes exploring motherhood and family from both physical and spiritual dimensions. Through her razor-like poetics, the author pulls herself apart to expose past demons and future anxieties, laying bare truths that are not easily confronted. Hughes whispers ‘”why can’t I be gentle with the person I’ve become?” compelling us to whisper along with her. The result of She, Shapeshifter then, is a series of utterly fearless poems that embed themselves into the core of your being, where they sit uncomfortably, like emotional shrapnel.

— Stuart McPherson, Waterbearer