Now available for pre-order in the UK, with official Publication Day on 13 November 2026, World Kindness Day!
“Now I can only do the next thing —
be kind, pay attention, pray, write a little, share
those poems that tell of reweaving the world.”
Hello lovely readers!
This is my first book, and it’s been a steep but very enjoyable learning curve to bring it in to the world.
It’s very personal and goes deep into my soul and how I respond to the natural world, visiting some sacred places that have been and are important to me. So right now I feel quite vulnerable.
I intensely dislike marketing my work, especially when I am so invested in it. One of the things that has helped is to take a step back – to treat this like a job and be task-focused. So below, between the Pre-order buttons, is the blurb I submitted to the print-on-demand people for official publication on 13 November.
In the meantime, please take a look at the Pre-order link, where you’ll find a short ‘Look Inside’. If you’re based in the UK, I’d be honoured if you would consider buying a copy direct, and it would make a great gift too!!
If you’re based near Exeter, please get in touch and we might be able to save on postage. Also, when I regain the headspace I will be organising a launch, and I’ll be reading at the occasional event – I’ll pop any such happenings at the end of this post.
And finally… to celebrate World Kindness Day, which is also on 13 November, I’ll be giving away one copy of the book as a Random Act of Kindness to a random lucky person. I’ll post soon about how that will work.
In A Necessary Presence, Clare Bryden weaves deep connections across time, geography, and the quiet places of daily life. This moving poetry pamphlet captures momentary ‘noticings’, as the numinous transforms everyday activities. Whether finding the divine in a spider and dust particles or hearing a sacred calling in a cloister garden, these poems remind us that everything is knitted together.
A Journey Through Landscape and Faith
The collection journeys across sacred and natural landscapes—from the ancient stone of Kilpeck Church in Herefordshire and the soaring rafters of Blythburgh in Suffolk, to the broadleaf woods of the poet’s home county of Devon. Whether lingering along the Welsh borders of the Wye Valley at Tymawr Convent, or with St Columba in Ireland contemplating his sea journey north, Bryden writes with a grounding gentleness that speaks to readers of all backgrounds and beliefs.
Where Nature Meets the Numinous
The natural world makes its presence felt in surprising, magical ways:
• A butterfly prophesies.
• A pine marten claims ownership of its human host.
• Old tree stumps hold space for grace.
A Necessary Presence invites us all to pause, step into the silence, take nothing for granted, and share in the vital work of reweaving our world.
Perfect for readers of spiritual poetry, Christian mindfulness, nature writing, and anyone seeking a moment of peace and contemplation. Add this beautiful collection to your shelf today.
Happenings
I’ll be reading a few poems at the next Uncut Poets event at Exeter Phoenix on Tuesday 27th October, as a member of the Black Ven Stanza. I will have A Necessary Presence with me, so you could be one of the first people to get your hands on a copy.