Objects of Desire
- Bridget Somekh
- Feb 20
- 2 min read
Updated: May 1
In the spring of 2020 I started work on a new project: to select an object from each of the 17 museums in Cambridge and write a poem in response. “The Bladder” was written in February after my first visit - to the Scott Polar Museum. Then I caught COVID on a theatre trip to London, and once I recovered all the museums had closed. So I turned my attention to objects in my house and found an unexpected fount of inspiration: every object had a story attached to its arrival. Writing poems about them became an investigation of memories and meanings, in search of my life’s experience.
From the Back Cover
What makes an object desirable? Is it its beauty, its history, or the memories it carries? In 'Objects of Desire', Bridget Somekh reinvents the memoir, weaving poetry, images and reflection into a deeply personal yet universal meditation on life, love, and loss.
This collection celebrates the comedy found in everyday moments and fearlessly investigates tragedy, documenting not only life’s joys and sorrows but also the very act of writing—a poetic self-portrait shaped through memory and collaboration. Some poems engage with treasured objects, transforming the prosaic into the extraordinary; others explore the lasting power of friendship and celebrate the relationships that shape us across decades.
Images and words are inextricable here. Inspired by ekphrasis—the ancient tradition of poetry engaging with art—Somekh’s poems do more than describe: they animate. A sculpture breathes, a piece of clothing whispers its past, a beloved book opens a door to another time, and a lifelong friendship echoes across the years in a single phrase. This book is not just about remembrance but about revival—about how poetry, like the objects and people we cherish, keeps us tethered to what we love and who we are.
From Cambridge to India, from childhood to a long life well lived, 'Objects of Desire' is both an invitation and a revelation: an exploration of the profound ways in which creativity, collaboration, memory, and friendship shape our identities.