Poetry Rebellion: Poems and prose to rewild the spirit

Description

Life in the 21st century is throwing up challenges across the globe. From climate emergency to extreme politics, from women's rights to gender identity. We can often feel powerless and unable to make a difference in these bewildering times. But throughout history, poets, writers and campaigners have used the power of the beautiful word to exhort us to stand up, rebel and help make that change. From anthemic nature poems and Irish folksongs to Allen Ginsberg's evocative 'Sunflower Sutra' and George Moses Horton's 'On Liberty and Slavery'. From William Blake's 'Auguries of Innocence' and the poetic prose of Nan Shepherd to Jean 'Binta' Breeze's 'Tweet Tweet', the words of famous poets mingle with lesser-known voices in this powerful collection. As Pablo Neruda said, 'Poetry is rebellion.'

Paul Evans is a nature writer, Guardian Country Diarist, poet, broadcaster, journalist and senior lecturer in creative writing at Manchester Metropolitan University. He is the author of Field Notes from the Edge (a compilation of his Guardian articles). He broadcasts regularly for Radio 4 nature programmes.

'This anthology is part manifesto for change, part elegy for a burning house, part summoning of an 'inner wild'. But it's also a book of timeless, irrepressible, rebel song. Jean Binta Breeze sings to William Blake, Selima Hill sings to Theodore Roethke and Nan Shepherd. Each song echoes, each chimes. As Paul Evans says in his introduction 'poetry is a quality of language as wild is a quality of nature'. Poetry Rebellion is essential.' * Helen Mort * 'Galvanises us to notice and care about our glorious natural world, through the words of an army of poets, ancient and modern' -- Bel Mooney, Daily Mail