Rosie Johnston finds that Sarah Salway’s poetic guide to the gardens of Kent is a book to be enjoyed both indoors and outdoors.
Year 2014
Paul McLoughlin admires the substance as well as the style of Adrian Caesar’s poetry
Chris Beckett finds himself wanting more from Julia Bird’s idiosyncratic menu of poetry subjects and styles
Landscaping for recreational purposes – this, says Martin Noutch, could be a metaphor for the way that Michael McKimm’s new collection makes poetry out of geology
Josh Ekroy identifies commitment and precise observation as being the chief strengths of Christopher Smith’s new collection
John Forth suspects that Peter Bland’s poetic inspirations come to him unbidden – rather as shy creatures will approach nature-watchers who remain patient while waiting for small animals.
D A Prince examines some of the subtleties that make Hubert Moore’s poetry so effective
Peter Giles re-tells a little-known story from the second world war…
Emma Lee finds depth in a slim volume of poems by Jacqueline Gabbitas
What exactly is the essence of Belgium? Far harder to pin down than French chic or English sang-froid, the nation’s uneasy mix of Walloon and Flemish, surreal and down-to-earth, all miraculously held together, is perfectly encapsulated by the Atomium – a giant, futuristic structure on the northern edge of Brussels.
D A Prince’s new collection exemplifies the virtues of understatement in poetry
John Forth observes that Ian McEwen makes poetry out of some unlikely material.
By Michael Bartholomew-Biggs • books, poetry reviews, Year 2014