First came the darkness, then came the light. Darkness & Light is a poetry collection documenting the emotional journey of overcoming mental illness and finding the strength to be whole again. In this book, I hope you find comfort in my words, feel a part of my story in yours, see the beauty in the ordinary and if like me, you have ever lived in the shadows, I hope you find your light.

“Darkness & Light is a phenomenal collection of poetry that takes the reader on a vulnerable journey of the author’s personal experience with mental illness. Through Emma-Jane’s gorgeous metaphors, vivid imagery and storytelling, I was captivated by every poem.”

“Emma-Jane takes you on her life journey of experiencing both the dark and the light from the age of twenty to twenty-seven. While, without shame, bringing forth her riddling anxiety and wandering through the uncertainty of darkness. On the flipside, she shows you the positivity life teaches; how she rebuilds herself within love and self-discovery.”

“Darkness greets us with an articulation of pain that is at once profound and yet completely accessible. Light then meets us to bring a much-needed solace after the storm. The reader arrives at the eye of that storm, but gets to leave after the most beautiful, poetic description of falling asleep in a lover’s arms. In the duality of the whole journey that is Darkness & Light, we feel like we were right there beside Emma-Jane throughout the decade that inspired it.”

“Emma’s collection of poems takes us through her journey in an open and honest way, and I have been moved to tears reading them and resonating with their rawness. I hope you enjoy this beautiful collection of poems as much I have. And to those who suffer, I hope this collection helps you find your light through the darkness.”

"Darkness and Light is a beautifully written poetic-memoir by the British poet Emma Jane Barlow. The unique poetry collection narrates the poet’s journey as a young woman in her early twenties who is constantly struggling with the dark but is also able to find the light by embracing the little things in life! Look out for the poems ‘Prisoner’, ‘Reflection’, ‘A Thousand Skins’ and ‘The Cupboard In The Classroom’, from the first half of the collection. In the second half of this collection, look out for the poems ‘Polaroid, ‘She’, ‘October Rain’’ and ‘Constellations’. As a cautious reader of good poetry I can recommend ‘Darkness and Light’ by Emma Jane Barlow."