Wednesday 23 December 2015

Poetry Books to Recommend

Please buy poetry books, either in your independent bookshop or direct from the publishe

First, obviously mine. The Space Between. Buy at Doire Press here. P&P free worldwide.


Also from Doire Press this year was In a Hare's Eye from multi-award and competition winning and really lovely poet Breda Wall Ryan. A careful book with a love of words.


I really loved Clasp by Doireann Ni Ghriofa published by Dedalus Press. Especially the Cork city sequence of longer poems.


Doire Press had Arts Council Funding of €17,000 in 2015.

And Liffey Swim by Jess Traynor was packed with good poems between Dublin rivers. The title poem is a recommended read.

Dedalus Press had Arts Council Funding of €80,000 in 2015.

Stone Dress the second collection by Shirley McClure is a very good read, a witty, feminist take on life and health issues. Published by Arlen House.

Arlen House had Arts Council Funding of €17,000 in 2015.

Jane Clarke had a very well received collection River published by Bloodaxe. A mostly rural selection with elements of grief with lovely imagery.


Bloodaxe is supported by the Arts Council in the UK but the amounts don't seem to be publically available, which is interesting in itself.

For some super haiku, tender and terrific at capturing the essence of a moment, try A Train Hurtles West by Maeve O'Sullivan published by Alba Press.



I also read Black Country by Liz Berry which was stunning, a fantastic use of voice and place. Publishedd by Chatto and Windus.



Lastly the Guardian first book award winning collection, Physical by Andrew McMillan. I saw him read at Latitude festival and I'm trying to get him to come to Ireland to read this year. Very visceral, very gay and very Barnsley. Published by Jonathan Cape.



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