Invitation to View

Peter Scupham's Invitation to View is a collection of poems that explore the past, present, and possible visitors to the poet's 400-year-old house, framed by poems considering the efforts and gestures they have made to bring it alive. The book is haunted by the variety of efforts and gestures they have made, and is framed by poems considering possible visitors to the poet's house long after they have left it.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 88 pages
Publication date: 28 July 2022
Publisher: Carcanet Press Ltd

Peter Scupham's Invitation to View, a highly anticipated new book, presents a collection of poems that invite readers to engage in a contemplative and enigmatic journey. Initially discouraged from naming it Curtain Call, the book evokes a sense of curiosity and speculation, offering a multitude of possible and impossible interpretations. Certain poems respond to fragments of the past, both personal and historical, that continue to haunt the present. It is important to note that all business remains unfinished business, as even the most unexpected phrases or a glimpse of a landscape once seen in a different guise can catch us off guard.

Invitation to View is structured around poems that envision potential visitors to the poet's 400-year-old house, long after he and his partner have departed from it. The book is permeated by the diverse range of efforts and gestures they have undertaken to bring both house and garden to life. It is a haunting reflection on the transient nature of existence, as time relentlessly attempts to modify and forget the traces they leave behind. Many of the gestures in the book were theatrical, reminiscent of poetry picnics, Shakespearean productions, and the harmonious coexistence of the living and the dead.

Tom Stoppard's words from Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead serve as an apt epigraph for this collection. In his play, Stoppard's characters emphasize the idea that every exit holds the potential for an entrance into another realm. This notion resonates with the themes of Invitation to View, where the past and present intertwine, and every departure becomes a gateway to new possibilities.

In conclusion, Peter Scupham's Invitation to View is a captivating and thought-provoking collection of poems that invites readers to explore the depths of human existence, the complexities of relationships, and the transient nature of time. Through its enigmatic verses and theatrical gestures, the book offers a profound reflection on the human experience and encourages us to embrace the possibilities that lie beyond the confines of our present reality.

Weight: 126g
Dimension: 135 x 215 x 13 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781800172104