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Thirty Angry Ghosts: Poems by Mai Black


This poetry collection gives voice to the furious spirits of thirty famous historical figures, including Henry VIII bemoaning the rise of feminism; Tutankhamen planning retaliation for the desecration of his tomb; and Boudicca calling out for a revenge attack on modern-day London. At the back of the book, I have included a biography for each historical figure featured.


The poems and biographies can be read purely for pleasure and/or used as an educational resource for drama, history and literature classes. The book is intended for adults and teenage readers, although some individual poems could be used with a younger age group. Fifteen of the voices are male, fifteen are female and every continent is represented, except for Antarctica.


Themes covered include environmental disaster, feminism, empire, war, family and the individual versus wider society.





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