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Red River Valley
A Poetry Book Society Recommendation 2026
In Red River Valley, the new collection from one of Britain's most treasured living poets, Ian McMillan makes poems from family life, everyday surrealism and the effect of austerity on the village near Barnsley where he's lived all his life. Language is the playground and form is the rewritten rulebook in work that tries to sit on the page and in the ear at the same time.
After all these years, he's still trying to find his voice; maybe it's here in Red River Valley, the name of his dad's favourite song.
In Red River Valley, the new collection from one of Britain's most treasured living poets, Ian McMillan makes poems from family life, everyday surrealism and the effect of austerity on the village near Barnsley where he's lived all his life. Language is the playground and form is the rewritten rulebook in work that tries to sit on the page and in the ear at the same time.
After all these years, he's still trying to find his voice; maybe it's here in Red River Valley, the name of his dad's favourite song.
99 pages, Kindle Edition
Published October 29, 2026
About the author
Ian McMillan
74 books18 followersIan McMillan is a British poet, journalist, playwright and broadcaster who has continued to live in Darfield.
McMillan graduated from North Staffordshire Polytechnic in 1978. He started performing on the live poetry circuit in the 1970s. He has had several volumes of poetry published for both adults and children. He is an enthusiastic advocate of poetry. In addition he has had journalism published in Q magazine, Mojo magazine and writes a weekly column in his home town's local newspaper, The Barnsley Chronicle''. He has the unique honour of being the first poet in residence to a football club, his hometown Barnsley FC.
His play Sister Josephine Kicks the Habit, based on the work of fellow Yorkshireman Jake Thackray premiered in 2005.
McMillan graduated from North Staffordshire Polytechnic in 1978. He started performing on the live poetry circuit in the 1970s. He has had several volumes of poetry published for both adults and children. He is an enthusiastic advocate of poetry. In addition he has had journalism published in Q magazine, Mojo magazine and writes a weekly column in his home town's local newspaper, The Barnsley Chronicle''. He has the unique honour of being the first poet in residence to a football club, his hometown Barnsley FC.
His play Sister Josephine Kicks the Habit, based on the work of fellow Yorkshireman Jake Thackray premiered in 2005.
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October 31, 2026
‘Most treasured living poets’ - one of, and true but along with Pam Ayres it’s an epithet that maybe poets are keen to avoid, attracting thoughts of buried or dug up and put on show in a museum. T/his latest collection is playful, accessible, usually humorous and often follows the line to a surreal conclusion and a smile - sometimes irritating, but he likes The Beatles so he’s forgiven most meanderings. ‘Walking past Darfield cricket club on a Saturday afternoon on my way home from Darfield Museum’ is a masterful lob now suspended in my imagination, clearly vying for the longest poem title ever and rivals ‘And to My Nephew Albert I Leave the Island What I Won off Fatty Hagan in a Poker Game’ in the novel stakes.
Displaying 1 - 1 of 1 review