'My Manx poems are part of my identity'

A poet on the Isle of Man says her poems in Manx "are part of my identity and are there for others who want to take the language up".

Former teacher Annie Kissack, who was appointed the fifth Manx Bard in 2018, is also a musician and a playwright.

Her recently released second poetry collection, A Suggestion Of Wrens, includes about 70 poems, with some written in English and others in both English and Manx.

While acknowledging there was "not a huge audience", Kissack argues: "I think we need to have more poems written in Manx", not least because it is important to show that it is functional for literary works.

"I tried to use contemporary Manx," Kissack says, adding, "I'm glad they are there, I feel they are part of my identity as a Manx woman."

She says her latest collection had been inspired by the island's history as well as its nature and wildlife.

While it does not have a theme, it features a number of pieces about wrens.

She adds: "It's my interpretation of historic stories I have heard, for example there is one where somebody turns into a horse, which was based off of something that was mentioned historically.

"I think most people respond to a creative representation of things, rather than to cold facts.

"I suppose if you are writing about culture or something with a historical background, you want to make that as interesting and accessible as you can, so you need to make your words pull people into a picture."

Kissack published her first poetry collection, called Mona Sings, in 2022.

Earlier this year, she won Culture Vannin's top award - Reih Bleeaney Vanannan, or Manannan's Choice of the Year.

"I only really started writing poetry in any serious way in 2018, when I entered the Manx Bard competition and I got really into the world of writing poems, and once I started it's like I couldn't stop," she says.

"It has become another element in my life now, and I think it is probably here to stay."

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