Nick Cooke explores Vanessa Gebbie’s poetic tribute to battle victims of World War One
history
David Cooke applauds the efforts of Paul Vincent & John Irons in selecting and translating an anthology which spans 1000 years of Dutch poetry
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.
How do we acknowledge the mess that Britain made in 1947 when the Indian subcontinent was carved into two countries? This is the central question underlying Howard Brenton’s caustic new play. Drawing The Line explores the moment when the line between India and Pakistan was made and British rule in India ended.
Paul McLoughlin reviews a collection set in the 1930s which recreates a lost age that was both golden and flawed.
Nick Cooke is impressed by the authenticity of Stuart Laycock’s collection of poetry from the Bosnian War
By Michael Bartholomew-Biggs • books, history, poetry reviews, year 2016 • Tags: books, history, Nick Cooke, poetry