The House of the Interpreter

A Poetry Book Society Summer Recommendation 2023 exploring the hidden language of nature and the power of communication.

Lisa Kelly's second collection, House of the Interpreter, responds to the repression of British Sign Language (BSL) as its occasion and inspiration. Kelly develops the subject through extended sequences which attend to mushrooms and fungi, lifeforms that develop in secret, unnoticed, unappreciated, yet whose existence enriches everyday life. What can such hidden others teach us - if we attune all our senses?

This collection is for poetry readers, those interested in disability studies, linguistics, nature writing, and social justice. House of the Interpreter challenges social and political repression, finding beauty and meaning in the everyday. Experience empathy, intrigue, and wonder as you explore the power of language, identity, and nature.