Title: A collection of bitter-sweets
First published: 1977
Description: This is a book of poetry I had published in 1977 under my name spelt with one 'n'.  I later added another 'n', so changing the spelling of my name to Dianne instead of 'Diane'.    Gordon Chilvers reproduced this book, and at that time he lived in Moorwood Lane, Nuneaton CV10 0QH with his wife Joyce.  Margot King-Smith did the illustrations for my poems.   A wonderful lady, very sadly she later died of Cancer.  Her husband Beresford remarried a few years ago.   There are only a few copies of this book remaining.
The poetry included in 'A Collection of Bitter-Sweets' was written by me over a number of years from the age of 11 until I was about 27 years old.  The poems are most obviously autobiographical, representing a quite intense spiritual search,  and one or two of them have now been re-published in my latest book of poetry:  "HAZARDS OF ENLIGHTENMENT"  which was launched here in Birmingham at the Centrala Cafe on 27th July, 2017.  This most recent book is again about a spiritual journey but this time the poems represent a much more mature period of my writing and focuses largely on a non-dual understanding of spirituality.   "Hazards of Enlightenment" has been published by Redsox Press (Kathryn Azarpay), and the book is now for Sale on Amazon.  A further book of my poetry will be published by Redsox Press later this year.
Subjects: spirituality, psychology, non-dualism, romantic love, trauma, Buddhism, Christianity
Places: Glebelands School, Sussex, College, Bosworth Field
People: Margot King-Smith, Anthony Naumann, Godmother, Eileen, Alicia
Time periods: Crucifixion, Rebellion, Trust, Nostalgia, Regret, Awakening, Gratitude, Spiritual growth, personal growth, Autumn, Sixties, Seventies, 1960-1977