‘All Grown Up Now’ by Kim M. Russell

The next EIF title to hit the bookshelves will be All Grown Up Now, a poetry pamphlet from internationally-published poet and writer, Kim. M. Russell, which is due for release on 26 August 2023.

About the Book

This collection of poems opens up a crack in the lining of a poet’s life to show what it was like to grow up in a family in the decades after the war, how it shapes the individual, what they learn and keep in their heart, the rituals and routines that are handed down the generations.

These poems not only take us back in time to a childhood in the sixties, teenage-hood in the seventies, and motherhood in the eighties, they also take us through the life of a poet, showing us how our upbringing stays with us, influences us, and shapes the individual.

About the Author

Kim M. Russell has been writing poetry since she was very young; she has written every day since she retired from teaching, blogging at writinginnorthnorfolk.com and hosting at the dVerse Poets’ Pub. Her poems have been published on-line by Visual Verse, Spillwords, The Ekphrastic Review, Pure Haiku and Poetry Pea, and in printed anthologies: Afflatus Magazine, Chiaroscuro, Darkness and Light (a dVerse Anthology), Anthology of Aunts and Second Place Rosette (The Emma Press), Peeking Cat, Fieldwork (New Nature Writing from East Anglia), the Poetry Pea Journals, The Anthropocene Hymnal, Wounds I Healed (Experiments in Fiction), and Dark Confessions (Black Bough Poetry), as well as a piece of flash fiction in Flash, I love you! (Paper Swans Press). Kim has self-published Between Heartbeats, an anthology of short fiction, and a novel for children, Joe and Nelly. She lives in Norfolk with her husband and two cats.

Advance Reviews

“Kim Russell’s collection of poems is a captivating journey into her world. It’s a colourful brush painting evocative language, memories, and keen observations. Each verse is a poetic portrait that touches the heart and inspires the reader to reconnect with their own memories. It speaks to the wonders of life, its joys, tears and smiles. All Grown Up Now is a must-read.” — Marilyn Braendeholm, Author and Poet

“Kim M. Russell’s new pamphlet, All Grown Up Now, is a sensory delight, filled with the remembered scents, color, and snapshot images of her life from early childhood to mature adult years. It is a sort of poetic memoir. In rhymed and unrhymed poems, the collection conveys images and impressions of the poet’s life, beginning with her mostly happy childhood memories in post-WWII England, where some still suffered symptoms from living through the Blitz.” — Merril D. Smith, Author, River Ghosts

“Kim Russell gives us a collection that is like rummaging through a box of old photographs. There’s a memory attached to each one, and she shares these memories with detailed accuracy, whether it’s a cold walk to school or her daughter’s wedding day. Kim has the knack of making the reader feel nostalgic for a life they didn’t have – these poems evoke emotions that could only come from experience. They are as finely crafted as a “baking day delicacy” and full of “names like holy prayers”. We move from Kim’s earliest childhood to reflections on motherhood and grandmotherhood. And, at the end, she points us towards the future. A treasure trove of poems.” — Sarah Connor, Author, The Crow Gods

“In All Grown Up Now, Kim Russell’s poetry echoes experiences reflected in old family photos many of us have glued into scrapbooks. Mr. Whippy’s ice cream van, sheets flapping on clothes lines, grandmother’s kitchen covered in snowstorms of flour. Russell’s imagery gently reminds us of the ultimate comings and goings in our own lives. From mixed emotions as parent-of-the-bride, to watching our own mother’s face fade from our life. Russell’s way with words invites us into her life but, more importantly, has us remembering ours.” — Lillian Halberg, Poet

“Reading Kim Russell’s poetry collection, All Grown Up Now, I imagine myself looking through her photo albums, or standing with her in the kitchen indulging all the scents of her grandmother’s cooking. I also sense the scents that we have lost, exhaust fumes and tobacco. The collection takes us through the process of aging, from Kim’s grandparents and elder aunts to Kim’s own aging and becoming a grandmother herself. Since they are organized chronologically from her birth through her teens and adulthood into the present I feel a timeline, which, while moving forward still takes us in a circle. This makes me think of life being a helix. Sometimes her memories intersect with my own, even though we have such different backgrounds, through her simple yet excellent descriptions of place and time using all her senses, especially scent. I highly recommend this brief collection and I am sure it will be a collection I will return to.” — Björn Rudberg, Poet

I look forward to launching this beautiful and moving book of poetry! I’m currently taking a little downtime following the successful launch of In The Shadow of Rainbows by Selma Martin. More news to follow on my return from holiday!

Ingrid