Don Paterson

The first book-length critical study of the contemporary British poet, Don Paterson Eight essays by leading literary critics and writers explore the social, historical and personal dimensions of Paterson’s poetry and prose. Situating his work in dialogue with the classical, medieval, early modern, modernist and contemporary voices that inform it, the book considers Paterson as a figure actively negotiating his place within literary history and theory, as well as confronting that history with humour and directness. Key Features: Eight essays by leading literary critics and writers, two interviews with Paterson, a critical introduction and a bibliographyConsiders Paterson’s place in the contemporary British poetry scene, examining the influence of modern American, English and Irish, European and Scottish literature on his writingAnalyses literary qualities across Paterson’s poetry and prose, from his sonnets to his long sequences, his aphorisms to his versions and translationsExamines Paterson’s published theoretical work on poetic form, metre, rhythm and sound and his arguments about lyric practice in his editorial work and his interviews and essaysAttends to key issues in British poetry and publishing, including: translation, national and international identities, spirituality and religion, the contemporary poetry industry, poetry and mathematics, the intersections of poetry, art and music, and psychoanalysis and the body.

Natalie Pollard is Lecturer in Modern and Contemporary Literature in the Department of English, Queen Mary, University of London. She is the author of Speaking to You: Contemporary Poetry and Public Address (OUP, 2012) as well as the author of articles in Essays in Criticism, The Cambridge Quarterly and Parallax.