The Wishing Well, by Rha Arayal

Poetry, chapbook, 40 pages, from Bottlecap Features.

The Wishing Well is a poetry chapbook that explores the motives behind wishes as well as their whimsical outcomes. It begs the question: "Why do humans wish?" and aims to investigate the subtle psychological and emotional reasoning of such a hopeful tradition. The collection follows the themes of identity, loneliness, heartbreak, betrayal and fading friendships, transforming them to illustrate captivating images of growth, personal confidence, security and social justice.

This seamless narration of core human principles is aided by the three key chapters, titled "find a coin", "close your eyes" and "make a wish" which develop the ambiguous yet weighted topics that Arayal discusses including the bittersweet embrace of memory, the weight of sadness and the mental imprints of consumerism. Overflowing with celestial and natural imagery, The Wishing Well reflects Arayal's inspiration from her hometown as the settings presented include rugged sandy beaches and sleepy sunflower fields.

Rha Arayal is an 18 year old British Nepali writer living in Wales. She enjoys examining the balance of nature and nurture, especially the notion of an Asian Welsh identity, as well as exploring racism and kindness and other aspects of humanity in her writing. Her debut poetry collection, Encapsulated Emotions, was published with Genz Publishing last summer. When she's not writing, she loves watching American vampire shows, practising martial arts and buying second hand books.