Publisher Description

Written daily throughout the UK's COVID-19 regulatory restrictions, Paul Cookson's new collection picks up directly from his first volume, Fighting Talk. These poems document the period of July to mid-October 2020 - from the pubs re-opening through to the introduction of the 'Three-Tier System'.Compassionate, humorous, political and principled, here is another extraordinary collection for extraordinary times and a continuing discourse on the mood of a nation."Paul Cookson is on the ball with poetry and life in the here and now. These trying times need poets to help us find a compass. This book is a must." - Michael Rosen"Paul's poetry gives voice to all the things that scare us and all the things that lift us, and everything in between. When we look back at 2020/21 and think what was all that about? his work will help us to remember and to see how far we've come." - Rev. Kate Bottley"A sublime collection of instinctive and honest poems that will undoubtedly serve as a poignant and definitive record of a challenging, turbulent year." - Badly Drawn Boy

Author Biography

Nationally acclaimed poet Paul Cookson was brought up near Preston and now lives in Retford, Notts. He has worked as a poet for over three decades, performing in schools and libraries, and at literature festivals and events across the world.As well as being Poet-in-Residence for The National Football Museum and Everton in the Community, he is Writer-in-Residence for Sing Together, which involves 125 Lancastrian schools and over 5000 children and 400 teachers.His anthology, The Works, has sold over a quarter of a million copies and has become a teacher's 'poetry Bible'.

Review

Praise for Volume One: "Paul manages to season his cogent observations of COVID-19 with a dash of humour that makes you want to dip in again and again." - Valerie Bloom; "Witty and wise, astute and acerbic." - Tony Walsh; "He's never going to let a worldwide pandemic curb his creativity. COVID-19 will give up before he does. This book takes you on a Corolla-Coaster of emotions, but don't worry - with Paul you are in safe and well washed hands." - Henry Normal. Praise for the author: "Every day should have a Paul Cookson moment." - Simon Mayo; "Simple, direct and poetic. Caring, compassionate and funny." - Ian McMillan; "Wordsmithery of the highest order and wittiest bent." - Mark Radcliffe.

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