From the brilliant ‘Being in Bed with Philip Larkin’ to a glimpse of a footballing T.S. Eliot, Peter Carpenter’s poems explore our recent history in writing, teaching and politics with both wit and insight. Steely Dan are here and so are Cambridge, the Thames and Venice, but above all these are poems about love and family. Carefully selected, they offer the very best of one of our most intelligent and engaging poets.
“Peter Carpenter has the ability to pull the rug from under your feet at the very moment when you think you’ve got his number.”
Jeremy Page
“A naturally restrained poet, most oblique when most autobiographical, Peter Carpenter is nevertheless deeply troubled by social injustice and so is prepared to risk a plain style; but he makes his plainness interesting.”
John Greening, TLS
Peter Carpenter is the author of five other poetry collections, including After the Goldrush (2009) and The Black-Out Book (Arc, 2002). He has worked for many organisations including The Poetry Society, The Arvon Foundation and The Poetry Trust. His poems and criticism have appeared in the likes of The Independent, The London Magazine, The North, PN Review, Agenda, Poetry Wales and The Rialto. He is the co-director of Worple Press. He currently teaches at Tonbridge School, and lives in Kent.