Bathing on the Roof

‘Rhys’ voice is strong and expertly controlled, yet so often calm, contemplative and punctuated with such moments of beauty that I have been one moment swept away upon the tide, and in the next moment, have quieted, and have sighed.’ – Jane Burn

‘Tracey Rhys has the knack of getting so close to the reader there is nothing else for it but to hold on for the ride…’ – Samantha Wynne-Rhydderch

‘These characters capture the power, chaos and vulnerability within us all. Perhaps the most prevalent voice, however, is Rhys’ own – considered and astute as she asks “where is the flow if not inside me?”’ – Mari Ellis Dunning

'This collection makes for a powerful and compelling read. There are complex layers of debate and conjecture, all skilfully explored and voiced with confidence.' – Pat Edwards, London Grip

Tracey Rhys’ captivating debut collection has two strong leading ladies: Bathsheba and Flood.

Bathing on the Roof reclaims the Biblical Bathsheba as an everywoman of the ages, creating a collage of female experience in all its sensual complexity. Whether finding herself living on the streets, arriving in the Garden of Eden, giving birth, or shopping in Beverly Hills, Bathsheba negotiates the edgy boundaries of her relationships with men while navigating the confines of her body.

Act-of-God-turned-celebrity diva, Flood likes to make an impression. She wakes up on the wrong side of the bed, makes a Severn Bridge of herself, parties with lightning, pouts for the paparazzi and drowns far more than she means to. Explored through the lens of the media and fame, these poems imagine how Mother Nature might respond to humanity’s interference, were she as flawed and determined as humanity itself.