Andy Porter

This is a wonderful book, full of practical insights from fifteen leading contemporary poets on their process and how they develop a poem from a tangle of ideas into a finished piece. Being poets they understand the importance of precision and capturing big ideas in a small package. So, the book may only be 150 pages, but the content is far from small scale. Each chapter is a masterclass and, as many of the poets are also teachers, they communicate their ideas beautifully and memorably. Hats off to Rosanna McGlone, who has worked sensitively and thoroughly with each contributor to draw out their wisdom in a warm, engaging way. I am on my second read already, this time making notes, and I know I will revisit this book many times - it is the best I have read for anyone who writes, or aspires to write poetry. The first chapter is on Don Paterson's "The Sicilian Advantage", and his depth of knowledge, experience and wit shine through. Brilliant stuff.