The first edition of English Nettles brought together poems Peter Robinson began writing on his return to England after many years living in Japan. The twenty-three works, evocatively illustrated by Sally Castle, show the poet’s ability to catch at fleeting landscapes and moments as, discovering Reading, he reacquainted himself with his native land. The poems celebrate his collaboration with the artist in their tribute to the place in which he came to settle. This beautifully redesigned new edition brings the book back into print, and includes an additional poem and illustration.
Running through their lines like the town’s two arteries are oblique reflections on the meaning of home, the nature of money, work, love, death, and parenthood. Approachable yet inexhaustible, Peter Robinson’s poetry welcomes readers and promises rewards that can be kept. A Two Rivers Press illustrated classic.
‘… the finest poet of his generation’ – PN Review
‘Robinson is at his best when describing the strangeness of marginalia such as … “a creosoted shed / with ivy bursting through its boards” … where time is distorted and realigned like perspectives in a mirror so that a return “home” feels as strange as being in a foreign country’ – Poetry London
‘… a major English poet’ – Poetry Review