The Excess
Annemarie Estor’s ‘The Excess’ unfolds as a single, continuous poem in seven cycles. The poet offers the reader a kind of magnifying glass, inviting closer attention to a world shaped by capitalism and consumerism, in which humans and animals alike find themselves trapped.
‘An inestimable zest for life purrs and pounds in Annemarie Estor’s work.’ – author Annelies Verbeke
The poem abounds in striking visual images, while remaining elusive and layered, resisting easy interpretation. Estor shows us a world in which humans and nature are both surrounded by and entangled with man-made objects.
Despite the bleak, near-apocalyptic imagery, which evokes a world unsettlingly similar to our present reality, the poem conveys a sense of belief that leaves room for hope. This notion of belief is introduced immediately in the opening cycle, entitled ‘I believe’, with the words ‘I believe’ repeated five times on the very first page. What this belief is directed towards, or what it might ultimately mean, is left for the reader to explore.
At its core, ‘The Excess’ examines what it means to exist in a capitalist, over-consumerist world – a theme suggested by the book’s title.
‘Piercingly beautiful’ – Poëziekrant
‘Powerful, quirky’ – Annelies Verbeke
‘Estor is that rare phenomenon, the learned poet who is also spontaneous, comical and passionate. Her work deserves to be internationally known.’ – the selection committee of the Frederick Turner Prize for Poetry
