Poet's Life of Rhyme (From Gazette Series)

Poet's Life of Rhyme

A CAM author has published the follow-up to her debut novel.

Hot off the press is the latest offering from Rona Coe, of The Croft.

A Life of Rhyme is a collection of 36 poems and is Mrs Coe's second book.

Mrs Coe said her first book Vindi Boys and Bedpans sold itself.

"Vindi Boys did really well," she added. "It was only published on a small scale but almost all copies sold. It is now in libraries in Gloucester and Bridgwater and I also sent books around the world to Australia, Germany, Canada - it did better than I could have hoped for."

The first book was an autobiographical account of Mrs Coe's time as a nursing auxiliary in Berkeley hospital along with an account of the Vindicatrix Training ship that used to be docked in Sharpness.

The latest offering from Mrs Coe's pen is completely different to her first book.

Mrs Coe explained she has been writing poems since she was a young girl.

"I have been writing since I was at school," she added. "I have compiled the poems for the book over a number of years and three of them have already been published in different anthologies."

The work covers a broad spectrum and is mainly light-hearted in tone.

Mrs Coe explained: "Different things come to mind over the years. The rhymes have references to Sharpness, Cam and Dursley and are a reflection of the corner of the countryside that is the Berkeley area. They are not really deep, there are a few on moral issues, but in the main they are light-hearted."

The book, which is self-published, is available from Baileys News in Dursley and Berkeley.

The collection costs £3.75 and a donation from each sale will be given to The Shubberies School in Stonehouse.