Publisher Description

Written daily throughout the UK's restrictions to combat coronavirus, Nail on the Head takes us from the anniversary of the first lockdown, through the easing of regulations, and up to our grand reopening on so-called 'Freedom Day'.Humorous, compassionate, and with a principled, political edge (and more than a passing interest in the European Football Championships, as you'd expect from the National Football Museum's poet-in-residence), this is Paul's fourth and concluding documentation of a nation's resolve and wellbeing.Illustrated by Chris Riddell OBE (Children's Laureate / Observer), Korky Paul (Winnie and Wilbur / Sir Scallywag) and Martin Chatterton (Winter of the White Bear / Bluenoses)."A fresh collection of Cookson's verse. If it's laughter you're after you could do worse." - Dr John Cooper Clarke, poet /"Pithy blinders, heartfelt and moving, marvellously inventive and original … quite brilliant. When looking at the national landscape, its wounds and doughty perseverance generated by its grief besieged citizens, Paul Cookson is their sparse voice, their collective bewilderment and courage." - Stewart Henderson, poet /"Paul Cookson is a special poet. He is a human being. Rare in this game." - Mike Garry, poet

Author Biography

Paul Cookson is Poet-in-Residence for the National Football Museum and Everton in the Community, Writer-in-Residence for Sing Together, a National Reading Hero award winner and Poet Laureate for Slade! He has worked as a poet for over three decades, performing in schools and libraries, and at literature festivals and events across the world.

Review

Praise for volumes 1, 2 & 3: "Every day should have a Paul Cookson moment - keep him by your bedside for emergencies." - Simon Mayo, broadcaster & author; "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, poet & author; "A book that future historians will want to read; it will tell them what it was like to live in turbulent times through a poet's eye. If journalism is the first draft of history, then here is the second: life shaped, structured, described, annotated." - Ian McMillan, poet & broadcaster; "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 MBE, poet & writer; "Witty and wise, astute and acerbic." - Tony Walsh AKA Longfella, poet; "This book takes you on a corollacoaster of emotions, but don't worry, with Paul you are in safe and well-washed hands." - Henry Normal, poet, writer, TV & film producer; "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, priest & broadcaster; "A sublime collection of instinctive and honest poems that will serve as a poignant and definitive record of a challenging, turbulent year." - Badly Drawn Boy, singer-songwriter

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