WHAT IS THE WEEPING DEGREE?

BRONZE MEDAL WINNER IN POETRY--The Wishing Shelf Book Awards, U.K. (2025)
DISTINGUISHED FAVOURITE (2nd prize) --The Independent Press Awards, U.S. (2026)

What if your worst wound became your greatest gift?
What if your moment of greatest despair became the open door leading you on a healing journey that would change your life forever?

The poetry and flash prose in this stunning collection, The Weeping Degree, explores the survivor’s journey from brokenness to wholeness. The reader follows the story of a childhood trauma, as it echoes throughout the author’s life, slowly transforming through time and healing from a wound to a gift. Along the way, Watt explores astrology and Buddhism, psychotherapy and activism to make sense of her tragic lived experiences. The poemoir is divided into three sections: The Home for Little Girls, The Buddha and The Pink Futon, and Hands Across the World. It travels the globe, starting in the silent shadows of foster care in a bleak Canadian suburb, and emerging into the light and sound of Sanskrit chanting in a Tibetan Buddhist monastery in Nepal.

Winner of multiple awards--this is a powerful and moving collection that reads like a love letter to the silenced and despairing.

'A thought-provoking set of poetry illustrating the author's journey from dark to light. A bronze medal winner and highly recommended!'
--The Wishing Shelf Book Awards, U.K. (2026)