Skywriting

Tomlinson Charles

The poems in Charles Tomlinson's new collection celebrate the colours and textures of places, and the people and histories that have created them. "Skywriting" forms a journey through the landscapes of Tomlinson's imagination: Mexico, Italy and Japan, always returning to the English Cotswolds, a landscape in which his life and work are deeply rooted. These poems make vividly present the beauty of places both strange and familiar, shadowed by an awareness of threat and loss. Some are dedicated to friends, including a poem in memory of Ted Hughes; others are written with an ominous sense of the fragility of ancient places threatened by modern wars. At the age of seventy-six, Charles Tomlinson explores new meanings in new poetic forms, on a continuing poetic journey.

About the Author

Charles Tomlinson, born in 1927, studied at Queens' College, Cambridge. He has published many books of poetry, and has translated selections from Russian, Spanish and Italian. He is also an artist. He taught at Bristol University, where he was appointed Emeritus Professor of English Poetry. He edited "The Oxford Book of Verse in English Translation" (1980).

Reviews

"Tomlinson's work and his new volume achieve balance, synthesis and wonderful expression. Add to this that he is also very funny, and I trust you have abandoned any reason not to buy the book. Let's be proud of him" – David Morley, the Guardian

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