Louise Worthington

The Black Widow is a collection of poetry influenced by true crime and literary heroines. The spider's web is a powerful metaphor for exploring cases of injustice and abused women who kill. This emotive collection gives voice to those unjustly convicted, to abuse survivors and their children, and to the foster carers who look after them. The influences of literature inspire poems from the perspective of Lady Macbeth, Madame Bovary and the Duchess of Malfi.“

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Preliminary nominee for The Elgin Award.

 

A startling and melancholic chapbook of dark poems, The Black Widow addresses injustice, abuse, and trauma, and is a stark indictment on society’s indifference to the voices and suffering of women. Drawing on real-life and literary scenarios, Worthington’s poetry is brimming with unconscionable pain. A poet to watch.” Lee Murray, Bram Stoker Award®-winning poet and author of Tortured Willows.

 

“Resonant and familiar, Worthington’s poetry fills the hollows for women’s voices silenced by abuse. Scathing yet sensitive, The Black Widow is a lens by which to examine injustice, trauma, and pain, and the dark secrets often hidden behind closed doors.” Lindy Ryan, award-winning author and editor of Under Her Skin.