A prolific, relentlessly inventive, provocative and often hilarious poet, Peter Finch has published over twenty volumes of verse, as well as prose, including the popular alternative guide books, Real Cardiff and Real Cardiff 2. This selection follows his popular Selected Poems (1987) with a choice of work from books published in the past twenty years.
"Since the early 1970s, Finch has been the principal innovator in Welsh poetry… he deserves a Welsh knighthood."
Richard Kostelanetz, Dictionary of the Avant-Gardes
"Put this by your bed and it could keep you awake for hours: noisy, diverting – though not, perhaps, sufficiently selected. The cover photo captures Finch, who is well known for his declamatory poetry readings, fizzing with energy."
Poetry Review
"I'm convinced that Finch is one of the most exciting poets writing today on these islands, pushing the idea of poetry out as far as it will go, stretching the elastic band to snapping point and beyond, far beyond. Finch is so good because of his constant need to create and recreate, and his refusal to accept barriers. We need more poets like him."
Ian McMillan
Peter Finch is a poet, author and critic who lives in Cardiff. His numerous poetry titles include Useful, Poems for Ghosts and Food from Seren, Antibodies from Stride, and Vizet, a selected poems in Hungarian from Kronkét Könyvek. A former publisher and bookseller, he is now Chief Executive of the Welsh Academy, the Welsh Literature Promotion Agency and Society of Writers.
"Since the early 1970s, Finch has been the principal innovator in Welsh poetry… he deserves a Welsh knighthood."
Richard Kostelanetz, Dictionary of the Avant-Gardes
"Put this by your bed and it could keep you awake for hours: noisy, diverting – though not, perhaps, sufficiently selected. The cover photo captures Finch, who is well known for his declamatory poetry readings, fizzing with energy."
Poetry Review
"I'm convinced that Finch is one of the most exciting poets writing today on these islands, pushing the idea of poetry out as far as it will go, stretching the elastic band to snapping point and beyond, far beyond. Finch is so good because of his constant need to create and recreate, and his refusal to accept barriers. We need more poets like him."
Ian McMillan
Peter Finch is a poet, author and critic who lives in Cardiff. His numerous poetry titles include Useful, Poems for Ghosts and Food from Seren, Antibodies from Stride, and Vizet, a selected poems in Hungarian from Kronkét Könyvek. A former publisher and bookseller, he is now Chief Executive of the Welsh Academy, the Welsh Literature Promotion Agency and Society of Writers.