The Dereliction

by Liz Berry, Tom Hicks

The Dereliction is a love letter to the post-industrial landscapes of the Black Country. Liz Berry’s poems have been praised for their use of the vernacular, the twang of West Midlands dialect. Her poems are matched with Tom Hicks’s stunning photographs, part of his ongoing documentary photography project Black Country Type, that show the colours and textures of the post-industrial landscape. Together, their vision is a celebration of place which is as vital and lyrical as Wordsworth’s celebration of the Lakes.

The book is introduced by Black Country novelist and poet R.M. Francis, and also includes a conversation between Liz Berry and Tom Hicks about their collaboration and what their home territory means to them in terms of their work.

Paperback

Published January 1, 2021

About the author

Liz Berry was born and lives in London. She worked in offices, magazines, politics and for a well-known examination body, before becoming a careers guidance advisor, helping young people plan their futures and finding employment opportunities for them. Then, for twenty-two years, she was Head of Art in an East London Comprehensive school.

At the same time she started and ran the East London Gallery for four years

Liz Berry is an artist in oils and mixed media. She also makes experimental embroidered textiles. She exhibits her work mainly in London and southeast England and sells her paintings through Gallery 41.

Reviews

[Simon Slidders · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not as good as The Republic of Motherhood. A clear debt to the book Edgelands by Farley and Roberts. I am not sure it is completely clear about its intent.