Festival of All Souls



 My debut collection of poetry "Festival of All Souls" is now available to order from Inanna Publications  your local independent bookstore and Chapters/Indigo 




Jean Eng is an intrepid poet who captures arresting images, and distills the essence

in crystalline form. Animal spirits, ancestral voices, and cultural motifs appear at will

in Festival of All Souls, enervating the quotidian like the waves of Lake Ontario, and

the joy of learning a new language.

—Carol Barbour, author of Infrangible 

 

The Festival of All Souls is a delicately crafted debut collection. Jean Eng uses

words with the finesse of a fencer, catching the reader unawares. A streetcar ride

in the presence of a fruit fly, pivots to love, resilience, and “the gaudy tenderness

of orange/seats.” The Festival of All Souls navigates life’s terrain with clarity,

tenderness and a wry, piercing humour. There is not one false note.

—Mary Lou Soutar-Hynes, author of Any Waking Morning 

 

Accomplished visual artist Jean Eng's first full-length collection of poetry, Festival of

All Souls, synthesizes her Asian heritage, love of nature, and splashes of surreal

imagery with remarkable skill. The reader encounters ghosts, birds, flowers,

childhood memories, old loves, and even a feminist inversion of Madame Butterfly

("Lady Dragonfly") calling for the protagonist to "Become a martial artist instead"

and "Practice throwing the poison stars." This sort of mystical alchemy and dry

sense of humour infuses Eng's work, showcasing a thoroughly original voice.

—Myna Wallin, author of Anatomy of an Injury



Watch selected readings of my poems here:


 https://youtu.be/xr17DgjRrl4




Selected Readings: Festival of All Souls


Queen's Quarterly

April 21, 2024 


Two of my poems were published in separate issues of Queen's Quarterly. "On the Surface" appeared in Fall 2023 and "Wedding Banquet" is included in Spring 2024 issue.






Best Canadian Poetry

Novemeber 16, 2023 


My poem "Tai Chi in the Snow" was included in the anthology "Best Canadian Poetry 2024." Many thanks to guest editor Bardia Sinaee, series editor Anita Lahey and everyone at Biblioasis. Also thanks to The Fiddlehead where the poem first appeared.


Orange Blossom Review

December 17, 2022

 My poem "In Solitude" appears online in the latest issue #9 of The Orange Blossom Review. It was also nominated for a Pushcart Prize.


www.orangeblossomreview.org

Fiddlehead

November 4, 2022

Two of my poems: "Hairdo" and "Tai Chi in the Snow" are published in the lates issue of The Fiddlehead, #293, Autumn 2022.

https://thefiddlehead.ca/issue/293



Ricepaper Magazine


I have a poem recently published in Ricepaper Magazine now available online.

Ricepaper

Woven Tale Press

Two of my poems "Nexus" and "Tsao Chun" are published in the December 2019 issue of Woven Tale Press. They are on pp. 69-70. Hopefully you can access the link here:

http://online.flipbuilder.com/eovs/uiau/

Stand Magazine

I have two poems, "Climate Thief" and "Say Goodbye" in the 17(2) 2019 issue of Stand Magazine. My first U.K. publication! The journal features women writers from Singapore but also includes others from Canada (moi), the U.S. Australia and the U.K.

Grain Magazine

My poem "For Rent" has been published in the 45:2 2018 edition of Grain Magazine.