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Lisa Fingleton is launching her new book next Wednesday, December 8.
BALLYBUNION-BASED artist and author Lisa Fingleton is launching her new book ‘The Last Hug For a While’ online next Wednesday night, December 8 at 8pm.
The author Michael Harding will officially launch the book. According to Lisa, the book “charts the last year and a half through a series of rhyming sentences and drawings that popped into my head following interactions, conversations and random thoughts. I think the lockdowns made every interaction seem more precious and poetic”.
At the very start of the first lockdown Lisa’s parents were leaving after a weekend in Kerry. As she hugged her dad goodbye he said ‘this could be the last hug for a while’. Lisa says she sobbed when they left, not knowing when she would see them again.
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“So many people all over the world endured such terrible losses over the last while with huge consequences for physical and mental health,” said Lisa.
The simple rhyming structure in the book provided a framework for her emotions and helped her process the challenges of the last year and a half.
She experienced sadness about the distance from loved ones and concern for their safety, anxiety about climate change and biodiversity loss and distress that the poorest people on the planet continue to suffer most.
Her nephew missed her mother’s drizzle cake and asked if she could make one for him and leave it on the windowsill, as he knew she was cocooning.
There was the ‘Mrs Doyle moment’ where she contracted Covid herself because of her insistence on making tea. The book explores a range of topics including Covid, climate change, farming, food, love and freedom.
All are welcome to the free event and more details are available on her website. To Register for this free event, click on https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZIpcOqppjoiH9DrtN6PeBMTA97FQQahkAsA
Lisa was the Kerry Visual Artist in Residence 2021. The residency was supported by the Kerry Arts Office, Creative Ireland and the Arts Council.
