Fifty Words for Snow by Nancy Campbell

From mountain tops and frozen seas to city parks and desert hills, each of these linguistic snow crystals offers a whole world of myth and story-- the perfect winter gift.

Snow. Every language has its own words for the magical, mesmerizing flakes that fall from the sky. In this exquisite exploration, writer and Arctic traveller Nancy Campbell digs deep into the meanings of fifty words for snow.

 

In Japanese we encounter yuki-onna--a 'snow woman' who drifts through the frosted land. In Icelandic it is hundslappadrífa--'snowflakes as big as a dog's paw'--that softly blanket the streets. And in Maori we meet Huka-rere-- 'one of the children of rain and wind.'

'Absolutely exquisite. This little book is a work of art. It is impossible to imagine the reader who will not love it.' --Horatio Clare, author, Running for the Hills

'This stunning book made me want to pack all my woolies, candles, ample firewood and enough books for a year - and head to as northerly a location as I could find.' --Kerri ní Dochartaigh, Caught By the River

 Nancy Campbell is an award-winning writer, described as 'deft, dangerous and dazzling' by the Poet Laureate, Carol Ann Duffy. Her travels in the Arctic between 2010 and 2017 have resulted in several projects responding to the environment, most recently The Library of Ice: Readings in a Cold Climate (S&S), which was longlisted for the Rathbones Folio Prize 2019. Her previous book on the polar environment, Disko Bay, was shortlisted for the Forward Prize for Best First Collection in 2016.

Elliot & Thompson

Pub Date: November 01, 2022