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The Forward Book of Poetry 2014
The Forward Book of Poetry showcases the best of contemporary poetry published in the British Isles over the last year, including the winners of 2013's hotly contested Forward Poetry Prizes. The anthology - the 22nd of its kind - is introduced by Jeannette Winterson. If you buy only one poetry book this year, this deserves to be it.
- GenresPoetry21st Century
Paperback
First published October 3, 2013
12 people are currently reading
217 people want to read
About the author
Jeanette Winterson
122 books7,880 followersNovelist Jeanette Winterson was born in Manchester, England in 1959. She was adopted and brought up in Accrington, Lancashire, in the north of England. Her strict Pentecostal Evangelist upbringing provides the background to her acclaimed first novel, Oranges Are Not the Only Fruit, published in 1985. She graduated from St Catherine's College, Oxford, and moved to London where she worked as an assistant editor at Pandora Press.
One of the most original voices in British fiction to emerge during the 1980s, Winterson was named as one of the 20 "Best of Young British Writers" in a promotion run jointly between the literary magazine Granta and the Book Marketing Council.
She adapted Oranges Are Not the Only Fruit for BBC television in 1990 and also wrote "Great Moments in Aviation," a television screenplay directed by Beeban Kidron for BBC2 in 1994. She is editor of a series of new editions of novels by Virginia Woolf published in the UK by Vintage. She is a regular contributor of reviews and articles to many newspapers and journals and has a regular column published in The Guardian. Her radio drama includes the play Text Message, broadcast by BBC Radio in November 2001.
Winterson lives in Gloucestershire and London. Her work is published in 28 countries.
One of the most original voices in British fiction to emerge during the 1980s, Winterson was named as one of the 20 "Best of Young British Writers" in a promotion run jointly between the literary magazine Granta and the Book Marketing Council.
She adapted Oranges Are Not the Only Fruit for BBC television in 1990 and also wrote "Great Moments in Aviation," a television screenplay directed by Beeban Kidron for BBC2 in 1994. She is editor of a series of new editions of novels by Virginia Woolf published in the UK by Vintage. She is a regular contributor of reviews and articles to many newspapers and journals and has a regular column published in The Guardian. Her radio drama includes the play Text Message, broadcast by BBC Radio in November 2001.
Winterson lives in Gloucestershire and London. Her work is published in 28 countries.
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
March 15, 2022
In awarding a prize for and putting out an anthology purporting to give a view of the year’s best contemporary poetry, the Forward Prize and Book will challenge its readers as well as reward them with superb examples of new and existing poets. In the foreword, Jeanette Winterson puts into context how she views the 2014 book, which has remarkable echoes of what the world faces in 2022, when she says: “Poetry is the bomb and the safe exploding of the bomb…modern life is in a state of siege. We know that the world is run by the rich for the rich and it appears that there is nothing we can do about it. Our common wealth has been destroyed by greed. Our planet is being destroyed by greed and desperation. The poor are poorer”. Yet she gives a glimmer of hope that “The poem as the bomb is the poem as the flash of energy capable of blasting an opening into our private bunker.”
The many poems in this book gives just that with excellent offerings, such as: Glyn Maxwell’s The Byelaws; The Coal Jetty by Sinéad Morrissey; the marvellous imagery of Jean Sprackland’s Moving the Piano and the funny We Should Call a Man by John Osborne.
What is clear from reading the Forward books is that contemporary poetry is as strong and relevant as ever, with the voices of some remarkable poets to be listened to and enjoyed.
The many poems in this book gives just that with excellent offerings, such as: Glyn Maxwell’s The Byelaws; The Coal Jetty by Sinéad Morrissey; the marvellous imagery of Jean Sprackland’s Moving the Piano and the funny We Should Call a Man by John Osborne.
What is clear from reading the Forward books is that contemporary poetry is as strong and relevant as ever, with the voices of some remarkable poets to be listened to and enjoyed.
July 10, 2024
Not bad just realised poetry isn’t for me x
Want to Read
February 15, 2017Just taking this one slowly and savouring it... may take me a while!
October 4, 2014
A phenomenal anthology... As I said when I started out on this poetic journey, the Foreword explosively delivers a sensory experience that highlights what is to follow.
I've got two of FORWARD's collections. I've just purchased another two. They've helped satiate my desire to write, explore and express myself, and contributed to my winning a competition on National Poetry Day :-)
I've got two of FORWARD's collections. I've just purchased another two. They've helped satiate my desire to write, explore and express myself, and contributed to my winning a competition on National Poetry Day :-)
Read
October 15, 2014I m not a huge poetry fan but there are some hidden gems in this collection
September 6, 2016
Enjoyed it but poetry did not format properly as a Kindle read. good for reference in that format but need book format to appreciate fully
April 12, 2017
Overall I was pretty disappointed with this collection - there were only twelve or so poems in the whole book that I actually liked.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews