Brian Docherty comments on political poems from pre-WW2 Japan by Kosuke Shirasu which have recently been republished in a bi-lingual edition by Jun Shirasu and Bruce Barnes
year 2016
Thomas Ovans enthuses over a new (and overdue) collection from Donald Atkinson
Sarah Lawson observes that reading Michel Faber’s collection about grief and death can expand our capacity for empathy
D A Prince finds richness of detail in a slim collection by Martyn Halsall
Graham Hardie finds that Oliver Comins’ poems about golf also have an appeal to the non-enthusiast.
Thomas Ovans investigates a Shoestring anthology edited by Merryn Williams which has received an unusual amount of attention for a poetry book.
Wendy French recognises the heartfelt experience behind a very personal poetry collection from Avril Chester
Ryan’s Return: Brian Docherty takes a thoughtful and observant stroll through Sean O’Brien’s sombre version of West London
Pamela Johnson’s latest novel describes the intriguing interplay between three characters and reveals a lot about human vulnerability and resilience
Ivan Callus considers the distinctive poetic voice of Abigail Zammit
Pam Thompson finds something magical and unsettling in Peter Sansom’s shifting, complex poetry.
Rosie Johnston is impressed by Martin Figura’s boldness in applying Catastrophe Theory to the mechanics of human relationships
By Michael Bartholomew-Biggs • books, poetry reviews, year 2016 2 • Tags: books, poetry, Rosie Johnston