Vivat Regina

This glorious chapbook by Manchester poet Maz Hedgehog riffs upon classical literature and folklore particularly the English epic poem The Faerie Queene by Edmund Spenser. This is not a translation or adaptation. The poet writes entirely original poems focussing on her own fictional creations but weaves in deft allusions and lets the older material serve as contrast and counterpoint to the poems herein. By beautifully but decisively interrogating British constructed history the poet asserts the place of black queer perspectives and viewpoints within British cultural identity. Vivat Regina works as an exposition of a striking woman an exploration of duty and freedom and a rich fantasia of magical beasts and beings.