W. N. Herbert

Forked Tongue is a book balanced between opposites. At its heart are two groups of poems: The Cortina Sonata in English, and The Landfish in Scots. Both engage with the problem of re-creating a suppressed culture: Can a myth be ersatz? What is an inauthentic word? How complex is "Scottishness" permitted to be? Buttressed with recent poetry in both tongues, Forked Tongue mixes old and new, both startling English and untypical Scots. Like the gairfish or dolphins which speed through the Scots work, Forked Tongue is both fish and mammal. In its geographic sweep and linguistic range, Forked Tongue offers a new definition of what we call "British" poetry.

Forked Tongue

This volume presents new versions of key chapters from the recent Routledge/Open University textbook, Creative Writing: A Workbook with Readings for writers who are specialising in writing poetry. It offers the novice writer engaging and creative activities, making use of insightful, relevant readings from the work of well-known authors to illustrate the techniques presented. Using his experience and expertise as a teacher as well as a poet, Bill Herbert guides aspiring writers through such key writing skills as: drafting voice imagery rhyme form theme. The volume is further updated to include never-before published dialogues with prominent poets such as Vicki Feaver, Gillian Allnutt, Kathleen Jamie, Linda France, Douglas Dunn, Sean O'Brien and Jo Shapcott. Concise and practical, Writing Poetry offers an inspirational guide to the methods and techniques of this challenging and rewarding genre and is a must-read for aspiring poets.

Writing Poetry

Shortlisted for the Forward Prize for Best Collection

Cabaret McGonagall

John Burnside

André Naffis-Sahely

Timothy Donnelly

Andrew Motion

Robert Crawford

Jon Stone

Sarah Howe

Helen Mort

Tim Gunn

Paul Muldoon

Andrew Zurcher

Mina Gorji

Isobel Dixon

Alicia Elsbeth Stallings

John McAuliffe

Leontia Flynn

Peter Manson

Andy Powell

Aisha Farr

Anthony Adler

Aviva Dautch

13 Pages

Nonpareil Press

An Anthology of Imitation

The Mimic Octopus

Matthew Hollis

Modern Poets on Modern Poetry

Strong Words

Lian Yang

Brian Holton

Xiaoyu Qin

Comprehensive anthology of contemporary Chinese poetry. Indispensable reading for anyone with an interest in the future not just of China, but of poetry.

Contemporary Chinese Poetry

Jade Ladder

This exciting anthology maps a singular encounter between two groups of poets--one based in Bulgaria and the other in England--working together as writers, editors, and teachers to create a diverse body of original poetry and new translations.

Eight Poets from Bulgaria & Britain

A Balkan Exchange

Anither Music

W. N. Herbert

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