Spitting Distance is one of the 2016 Laureate's Choice Pamphlets, chosen by Carol Ann Duffy.
Mark Pajak was born in Merseyside. His work has been published in Magma, The North and The Rialto and been highly commended in the Cheltenham Poetry and National Poetry Competitions. He is this year’s Apprentice Poet in Residence at Ilkley Literature Festival. His poem 'Spitting Distance' won first prize in the 2016 Bridport Prize.
"Mark Pajak's skilful poems keep themselves open, especially to childhood and adolescent experience. Even so, they are far from frail – their insight and imaginative verve make them robust as well as eloquent." Carol Ann Duffy
"I was stunned by these poems. Fresh, urgent, alive, awake, with such a strong visceral impact I couldn’t sleep. Mark Pajak offers a high-res lens through which we share his vision of the suffering of children and animals. There is a fierce intelligence at play here, emotional, physical and cerebral. The combination is genius." Patience Agbabi