Living in the Delta

Description

Landeg White’s Living in the Delta adds new poems to a selection from his nine previous collections published over a period of forty years. Ranging from the West Indies, Southern and West Africa, to Britain, Portugal and latterly the UAE, they are characterised by abundance, lucidity, variety, and mastery of form.‘White addresses fundamental human issues unflinchingly’ —Big Issue‘There is something on nearly every page indicative of the reflections of a powerful intellect, a compassionate though never priggish understanding of people’s follies and desires, and an expert control of the medium’ —Suite 101‘The poems are unflaggingly good, with an Audenesque ease of utterance overlaying anger, and a sensual vividness that has one wiping the dust from the eyes’ —The Observer‘A book overshadowed by violence but trusting in the power of speech ‘to keep us human’ in poems driven by lyricism, humour and a strong historical awareness’ —Wasafiri‘Securely earthed, as accessible as any prose travel writing, richly evocative of place. White retains his sense of humour and that love of game-playing essential to the poet’ —Times Literary Supplement‘This is poetry that has no doubts about its role in the world as unofficial history and as source of hope.’ —PN Review‘Gives the details, the scent, the stuff of history being made, but manages also to bring tenderness as well as violence, love as well as anger.’ —Stand‘White has his own country, his particular music. His ear is as fine as Edward Thomas in his English woods.’ —Poetry Wales