New edition of book celebrating three town poets is published

 

A NEW edition of a book celebrating the work of three poets who have all lived in Bromsgrove and been inspired by the town’s rural setting, has been published.

Three Bromsgrove Poets is seen as an ideal introduction to the work of Bromsgrove’s most popular son AE Housman, and also to the work of less well-known poets Sir Geoffrey Hill and Molly Holden.

The success of the first edition, published by the Housman Society in 2003, has led to another edition being published with more poems from Geoffrey Hill added.

Mr Hill is considered by many to be the best living English poet, and received a knighthood for services to literature in last year’s honours list.

The book has been compiled and illustrated by the society’s vice chairman Robin Shaw who is the author of the highly successful book Housman’s Places.

Robin said: “Geoffrey Hill is a professor of poetry at Oxford University and is recognised as one of the leading poets of our times.

“His grandmother was a nailer – one of the (new) poems is a tribute to the hard life she led.”

Although born in London, Molly Holden spent her best writing years – between 1956-1981 – within a few hundred yards of St John’s Church.

Molly, who died in 1981, produced five books during this time, which went on to be published in the 1950s and 1960s.

Molly’s husband Alan, who died in 2007, selected which of his wife’s poetry would feature in the book, and wrote the introduction to all three poets.

The book is available to purchase, priced at £7.50, from The Housman Society, 18 College Road, Bromsgrove, B20 2NE. Include £1.50 for postage and packaging.