The emphasis in this collection, a journey through poetry, is the myriad of emotion that life brings; past and present; from love and loss, to emotion in war, in dreams and hope.

The sea, always an inspiration to me, features in many of the poems, reflecting in its moods - our emotions.

The launch of 'On Calico Wings' was on the 13th March 2010 at the Swindon Arts Centre, Old Town, Swindon, Wiltshire.

The report in the Swindon Advertiser:- "My return to town which inspired me"


The local launch was in Bexhill, on Friday 26th March 2010 at
Centre Stage, 87 London Road, Bexhill-on-Sea, East Sussex TN39 3LB

YouTube Video - Bexhill

A reading/book signing is being planned for the summer in Chelsea. So keep watching this space!

When Jan invited me to review On Calico Wings, I was delighted: Jan Hedger has a real gift for visual imagery and putting the reader in place of the poet. The book is beautifully crafted and well written and is full of humanity and emotion. The book takes you on a spiritual journey of highs and lows and reveals something of the poet's life, emotions which everyone has experienced and somehow Jan puts it all into perspective.

The book is divided into several sections, the first being Calico, which is my favourite poem of all in this section. Calico is an amazing poem and everything is perfect. Close your eyes and you have feel the waves moving and is a wonderfully scripted journey of love with repetition of the name Calico like the waves webbing and then flowing - quite brilliant. You can feel the tide of Calico's life repeated in the ebb and flow of her name.

'Wedding Dress Shopping' is another masterful poem and the two lines at the end sum up everything very well: "Eyes meet in a moment of clarity, This is the one."

Jan has summed up what most of us believe when we choose our special dress so well.

Of course, no Jan Hedger book would be complete without some of the touching poems of forces poetry, a site for the armed forces to publish their work. In this section 'Shot at Dawn' stands out. If there is one poem I would urge someone to read from this section a least once, preferably more, it is 'Too Young'. This poem actually made me cry, it is so poignant: how many boys were put in such a position? It speaks volumes to me and I hope it does to you.

With this book, Jan has reached the top in the art of writing poetry: On Calico Wings is not old-fashioned, but has more humanity and emotion in it than I have ever felt. It is a triumph: a book to make you laugh, cry, feel sad and elated, happy, but most of all I hope it makes people think.

I have always been a fan of Jan's writing and when you have read this anthology, I know you will too.

Bobbie Coelho
Andover
2nd January 2010

Jan Hedger is a truly talented artist who has an amazing gift to use words for painting vivid pictures on the heart. Works of art that will inspire, challenge and provoke not only contemplation but the full spectrum of human emotions.

'On Calico Wings' is a gentle undulating journey through Jan's poetry; from the charming innocence of 'Seashell' through the deep sadness of 'Innocent Grief' and on to the haunting 'Absolution', with her descriptive prose, mixture of styles and clever, often subtle, word play she invokes tears of grief and joy before the journey's end yet leaves the reader hungry for more.

B J Lewis

1 GBP from every book sold will be donated to "Gardening Leave". (Therapy for Veterans).

This book is dedicated to Amanda Rapley-Redfern 1985 - 2007 for her inspiration, belief and friendship.

With heartfelt thanks to my wonderful Nigel for designing the book cover and for his unwavering support and love.