Lanyard

Careless Whisper is a collection of poems that explore life through art, featuring family life in the early and mid-twentieth century, the 1970s of vinyl and tie-dye, and the uncertain present day. Sansom evokes working-class life in Sheffield and celebrates Gerard Benson and Sarah Maguire, poets and translators.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 72 pages
Publication date: 30 June 2022
Publisher: Carcanet Press Ltd

One of the captivating poems in this captivating new collection is "Careless Whisper," which invites us to pause and contemplate life through various artistic mediums, including 1980s pop, painting, and the works of various writers, including Emily Brontë, Samuel Taylor Coleridge, D.H. Lawrence, Alice Munro, Fernando Pessoa, and the New York Poets. However, the heart of this book lies in Sansom's keenly observed depiction of family life, spanning different eras, from the early and mid-twentieth century to the 1970s of vinyl and tie-dye, and even into the uncertain present day. Through his vivid descriptions, we journey with Sansom in his first car, encountering various characters such as roofers, walkers, darts players, and a pigeon fancier. We witness Sheffield in a unique light, often portrayed differently in literature. Sansom's elegies pay tribute to Gerard Benson, a children's poet and the founder of Poems on the Underground, as well as Sarah Maguire, a poet, translator, and anthologist. These poems encompass the entirety of human life, including death, and offer a poignant reminder of the enduring power of poetry to capture and preserve the essence of our existence. Within these pages, we find laughter, tears, and a vivid portrayal of a world that continues to thrive thanks to the magic of words.

Weight: 108g
Dimension: 135 x 215 x 8 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781800170209