Dark of Day

Purcell Sally

Revewing Sally Purcell's first collection of poems "The Holly Queen" (1971), Clive Wilmer spoke of "the ghostly music" and "diamantine elegance" of her poetry. These qualities are evident in this collection which continues to explore the mysteries of the quest through legendary and mythic material. Her sense of the numinous and the dramatic, and her intuitive grasp of folklore are matched by a rare lyric gift. "Miss Purcell is masterly in her handling of myth and ancient history" wrote Elizabeth Jennings.

About the Author

Sally Purcell was born in Bromsgrove, Worcestershire in 1944. She studied Mediaeval and Modern French at Lady Margaret Hall, Oxford and continued to live and work in Oxford (as typist, barmaid, researcher and, above all, writer) until her death in 1998. A specialist in mediaeval literature, she edited selections of George Peele and Charles d'Orleans and was the translator of a selection of Provencal Poems. Her main collections of poetry are "The Holly Queen" (1971), "Dark of Day" (1977), "Fossil Unicorn" (1997) and "Collected Poems" (2002).

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