Uncharted waters embodies, for Paola Caronni, physical places as well as literary tropes. Uncharted waters separate the poet from her Motherland, and keep apart not only continents, but people, traditions, sights, sounds and smells, encountered during her many travels. The Mediterranean Sea, the Indian Ocean, the South China Sea, the seas of Asia and beyond, as well as rivers, lakes, and water in general, are a constant presence in this collection. Uncharted Waters is also about acquiring, using, and writing in a foreign language, English, a deep ocean which, in all its linguistic and literary expressions, has always fascinated the poet. As in the physical world, these waters border realms that apparently look safe – and the author, in fact, writes her first poetry collection in English – but they harbour many dark caverns, unknown secrets too. Throughout the collection, water is a challenge but always represents renewal. The poet observes how life unfolds, from East to West: the transformation of Hong Kong over the years; the beauties and troubles of Asia and of other countries; the re-visitation of her homeland – a place of longing and contradictions – which appears at times blurred, after many years of living abroad. And in the last section of the book, through the wide use of metaphors, the reader will find vivid descriptions of the many facets of everyday life – among which are love, friendship, motherhood, and writing.