PJ Harvey to release her first book of poetry next October

Speaking about the 224-page collection in a statement, Harvey said:

“Gathering information from secondary sources felt too far removed for what I was trying to write about. I wanted to smell the air, feel the soil and meet the people of the countries I was fascinated with. My friend Seamus Murphy and I agreed to grow a project together – I would collect words, he would collect pictures, following our instincts on where we should go.”

The Hollow Of The Hand is part of a joint project with Seamus Murphy, who worked with Harvey previously on short films based on her Mercury Prize-winning Let England Shake, and chronicles Harvey’s explorations to various corners of the planet, including Afghanistan and Kosovo.

Murphy, a renowned photographer and film-maker, also released a statement about the project, which will see him provide a collection of photos to illustrate the poetry:

"Polly is a writer who loves images and I am a photographer who loves words. She asked me if I would like to take some photographs and make some films for her last album Let England Shake. I was intrigued and the adventure began, now finding another form in this book. It is our look at home and the world."