Bunk’Art 2. Review by Barbara Lewis. In the just over a century since Albania became an independent country, it has been a monarchy, endured Fascist occupation and spent nearly 50 years as an isolated Communist dictatorship, mostly under the rule of Enver Hoxha. Hoxha died in 1985 and the Communist Party collapsed in 1990, heralding a turbulent transition to a market economy.
society
Poetry review – ENGLISH LAUGHTER: John O’Donoghue finds hope in the humour and fair-mindedness that Alan Morrison perceives as being vitally English characteristics
Poetry review – EMERGENCY DREAM: Pat Edwards admires the way that Polly Atkin’s poetry links the personal with wider societal and global issues
Poetry review – CONVERSATIONS WITH A MACHINE : Michael Bartholomew-Biggs reviews a slim collection by Ruth Irwin that seeks to engage with big questions
MIND AND MACHINE INTELLIGENCE: John Lucas finds helpful information and some degree of comfort in James Hodgson’s primer for those trying to get to grips with AI and the issues surrounding it
Poetry review – IDENTIFIED FLYING OBJECTS: James Roderick Burns finds present day relevance in a collection of poems based on Old Testament verses
Poetry review – THE TRAPEZE OF YOUR FLESH: Thomas Ovans is impressed by Charles Rammelkamp’s extensive poetic history of Striptease and Burlesque
Poetry review – JOE HILL MAKES HIS WAY INTO THE CASTLE: Thomas Ovans gets to grips with an idiosyncratic new collection by Katy Evans-Bush and finds it a rewarding experience
Poetry review – HAVING HER CAKE: JenniferJohnson admires Wendy Klein’s collection for its bold and sensitive treatment of assisted dying
A PHYSICAL EDUCATION: John Lucas considers Jonathan Taylor’s perceptive and accessible discussion of the causes and consequences of authorised cruelty in schools and beyond
Poetry review – HAIL SISTERS OF THE REVOLUTION: Kelly Davis admires Caroline Gilfillan’s tribute to a 1970s band of freedom fighters
Poetry review – ACTIONING THE NEW UNIVERSITY: Andrew Melrose endorses Oz Hardwick’s poetically-framed concerns about English universities and their future
By Michael Bartholomew-Biggs • added recently on London Grip, books, education, poetry reviews, society, year 2026 • Tags: Andrew Melrose, books, education, poetry, society