Anthony Gardner’s second collection of poetry was long-listed for the Rathbones Folio Prize.

     When the pandemic that turned our world upside down struck at the beginning of 2020, I felt no inclination to write about it: there were words enough in the newspapers. But then I found myself writing the title poem of this collection; and though only two others were direct responses to the situation, its influence stole through in other ways.

     One of my lockdown occupations was delving into family history. Reading about my great-great-grandfather gave me the idea for The Accountants Consider a Liquidation. Some of the inherited possessions lingering in our house inspired Family Silver and The Card Table. An old photograph album was the impetus for Fishing.

     Lockdown made any contact with the natural world more precious. Walking our dog in the charming, underused Paddington Old Cemetery inspired half a dozen poems. Sitting in our garden (we knew how lucky we were to have one) fostered a growing fascination with birds.

 

‘This book is powerful. You may casually pick it up, intending merely to glance at a page or two and move on, but Anthony Gardner’s poems draw you in with their beguiling seductiveness’
– Sue Gaisford