Poetry review – MY LOVER AS HOUDINI: Rennie Halstead considers the sense of loss conjured up in Robert Seatter’s poems about an abruptly ended love affair
Tracey Emin: A Second Life. Review by Graham Buchan. Art moves on and times change. But in the case of Tracey Emin, art is still relentlessly all about the artist. This massive retrospective show will surely attract the crowds and be discussed widely.
Poetry review – MUSINGS Charles Rammelkamp considers a second collection by Tony Dawson which is as delightfully droll as its predecessor
* Issue 59 of London Grip New Poetry features poems by: *Stephen Chappell *Simon Ravenscroft *Hannah Linden *Bruce Christianson *Stuart Henson *Caroline Hannah *Noel King *Oliver Comins *Jill Husser *Rebecca Gethin *Emma Lee *Rachael Clyne *Alice Huntley *Kenneth Pobo *Julia Vaughan *J R Solonche *Rosemary Norman *Tess Jolly *Lawrence Bradby *Jackson *Sheenagh Pugh *Nick Cooke […]
Poetry review – LONDON PASTORAL Colin Pink likes the conversational tone of Maggie Wadey’s well-observed poems situated in urban green spaces
Poetry review – RETURN TO SENDAI Nick Cooke takes an in-depth look at a major compilation of work by Peter Robinson
THE LITERARY BUSINESS Paul McDonald enjoys Peter Finch’s lively and insightful account of more than half a century experiencing the vagaries of life as a writer and literary administrator
Poetry review – LOBE Sarah Leavesley admires both the variety and the connectedness on show in Cia Mangat’s chapbook
Poetry review – SONG OF THE YELLOW ASTERS Charles Rammelkamp reviews a moving and important posthumous collection by Selma Meerbaum-Eisinger, translated from the German by Carlie Hoffman
The Goldfinch, Birds, Art and Us. review by Barbara Lewis. Following a fit of remorse after a poor sparrow was killed because she caused 3.5 million dominoes that had been lined up for World Domino Day to topple over, the “Domino Sparrow”, minus the wing that was shot off, is immortalised and on display in the National History Museum in Rotterdam.
Poetry review – ETHNOLOGY Ian Pople explores the complexities of Cathy Galvin’s poems about people and place
Poetry review – IN THE LILY ROOM: Nick Cooke admires Erica Hesketh’s collection about motherhood not only for being accomplished and moving but also for its broad appeal across gender boundaries
By Michael Bartholomew-Biggs • books, poetry reviews, year 2025