Jo Reed’s encounter with the original ‘Stone Venus’, entangled amongst seaweed on a Corfu beach, was the source of much inspiration, creativity and comfort to the lifelong artist. Later, it became the seed of her first collection of poetry; a collection you could soon be holding in your outstretched hand, much like Jo held ‘Venus’ herself on that cold morning. The poet demonstrates a fascination with objects - as well as people, memories and places - throughout this moving, delicately-crafted debut. She inhabits them, transports them to decades past, then brings them back into the present with a series of skillful literary flourishes. This is writing to touch, inspire and astonish any reader - even those made of stone.