‘It’s the poetry again’*

The publication of Scottish poet Don Paterson’s debut collection Nil Nil in 1993 announced the arrival of a significant talent. Since then his work has gone through a fascinating process of distillation, culminating in the stunning simplicity of the poems in his sixth collection, Rain, reminiscent of the uncompromising utterances of poets like Blake and Dickinson. This remarkable Forward Prize-winning collection, as well as all his previous work as both poet (for Faber) and editor (for Picador), earned him the Queen’s Gold Medal for Poetry in the 2010 Honours List. He has written ‘poetry is a dark art, a form of magic’. Come read his poems and be enchanted.

Those in particular we will be looking at on Tuesday 6 April at Blackwells from 6.15pm-8pm include:
Two Trees
For Once
Why Do You Stay Up So Late?
The Circle
The Lie
Correctives
The Poetry (* ‘Dear God, poor Du Fu, I thought: / It’s the poetry again.’)
Rain