* This issue of London Grip features new poems by: *Caroline Natzler *Paul McLoughlin *Yvonne Green *Sally Long *David Cooke *Chris Hardy *Thomas Ovans *Neil Fulwood *John Forth *Carolyn Yates *Deborah Mason *Marilyn Hammick *Sofia Amina *Elizabeth Smither *Christopher Mulrooney *Jean Atkin *Robert Nisbet *Fiona Sinclair *Keith Nunes *Steve Komarnyckyj *Robert Ferns
year 2015
John Lucas welcomes a multi-faceted new poetry collection by Mihaela Moscaliuc
Thomas Ovans admires Rhona McAdam for finding many poetic ways of looking backwards at places, people and formative experiences
John Forth examines a dark and often funny poetic exposure, by Martin Hayes, of the politics of a soul-less work place
Norbert Hirschhorn reflects on the place of form in contemporary poetry, with particular reference to a substantial new selection of work from Marilyn Hacker.
Faces Then focuses on the 16th-century, regarded as the golden age of the portrait, when it was the rich, the powerful and the burgeoning bourgeoisie who could afford to have their portraits taken. Faces Now confines itself to the period since 1990, after the fall of the Berlin Wall, and, with it, the collapse of ideologies and artistic parameters.
Margaret Hollingsworth finds herself needing to think deeply about an intentionally chaotic modern mystery play devised by the Birmingham based company Stan’s Cafe
Emma Lee responds to the sensitivity and compassion in a new collection by Sue Rose
Thomas Ovans has mixed views about the Forward Prize winning collection by Kei Miller.
Norbert Hirschhorn takes a thoughtful look at Kerrin P Sharpe‘s second poetry collection
Two new poetry chapbooks from Wayleave Press by Carole Coates and Pauline Keith successfully tackle some very challenging material.
London Grip’s poetry editor is pleased to discover that, in his most recent collection, Hugo Williams continues to use his distinctive poetic voice to remarkable effect.
By Michael Bartholomew-Biggs • books, poetry reviews, year 2015