Island of dark horses

Historic Bardsey Island (Ynys Enlli), off the coast of north Wales, is the subject of Christine Evans' new collection of poems. The last Welsh island to be farmed traditionally, and still home to a handful of people - shepherds, fishermen, ornithologists and artists - as well as summer visitors, Bardsey is known as 'the island of 20,000 saints' and was once a major site of mediaeval pilgrimage. As well as recounting incidents from this colourful history, such as the Abbey monks hiding treasure from marauding Vikings, these poems chronicle the lives of the current inhabitants and their families, whose dreams and struggles emerge against a backdrop of volatile winds and tides. The author has captured the mysterious, storm-lashed nature of the place, and the intensity of these lyrics mirrors the rich natural landscape of Bardsey. The final title poem is a summation and celebration of the Island of Dark Horses.