Poetry Book Giveaway for National Poetry Month

National Poetry Month is fast approaching and Kelli Russell Agodon has come up with a great way to celebrate - participating bloggers will give away two books -- the first can be your own and the second a favourite book by another author. If you would like to know more on how to participate click here.

The two books I'm giving away are Against the Clock - an anthology written by a group of writers including myself to raise funds for the Alzheimer's Society and Mark Doty's Theories and Apparitions. I believe the latter was only published in the UK- not sure why. It was well received as you can read here

To enter leave a comment on this post and at the end of the month I'll write down all the names on slips of paper, put them into a bowl, stir them and then draw a name. Then I'll ship the books to the winner, whoever and where-ever you may be.

Murano by Mark Doty

Murano is a little gem of a book. Somehow the accompaniment of pictures makes the poem stand out much more than it it does when you read it amongst all the other poems in Sweet Machine. Venice simmers and glides through the pages as well as all the glass.

I've also bought Theories and Apparitions - his latest collection. My favourite poem so far is
Theory of Narrative which I heard him read at the London Review of Books Bookshop.

It begins

Oh you're a writer, I'm a writer too, Juan says,
I write novels, I've written eight of them, I'll tell you one.


You'll have to buy the book if you want the rest. It will be worth it. Trust me.

Thaw by Fiona

For a change from poetry there is the new novel - Thaw by Fiona Robyn for you to read which started on Monday.