Macdara Woods is one of the best-known names in contemporary Irish poetry, with his work translated into more than a dozen languages. To celebrate his 70th year, this Collected Poems is a generous overview of his many collections, from his 1970 debut to last year’s The Cotard Dimension, alongside a number of new and previously uncollected poems.
As politically aware and lyrically adventurous as ever, the poems cement Woods’ place at the very forefront of Irish poetry.
“This is language raised, like prayer and other holy forms, to be instructive, healing, memorable and accurate.”
Thomas Lynch
“One of the most individual voices in Irish poetry... He writes like no one living.”
Fortnight Magazine
“One of the most original poetic voices of Ireland over a third of a century.”
Books Ireland
Macdara Woods was born in Dublin in 1942. His other Dedalus Press collections include Selected Poems (1996), Artichoke Wine (2006), Knowledge in the Blood (2007) and The Cotard Dimension (2011). A member of Aosdána, he is also a founder editor of the literary journal Cyphers, along with poets Pearse Hutchinson, Leland Bardwell and his wife, the poet Eiléan Ní Chuilleanáin. He lives in Dublin.