Book Reviews – Richard Williams Poetry

Landings – Fifth Review

By Richard | January 6, 2020January 6, 2020 by Richard

The Fifth, and for now, most recent, review of Landings appeared on the High Window Press Website at the end of last year. Sydney Whiteside completed her review by summarising: Landings gracefully articulates anxieties about the future, though these fears are balanced by an uncompromising sense of hopefulness. Williams grounds philosophical musings in brilliant, concrete detail. He evokes the history and topography of Portsmouth with confidence and honesty. The poems in Landings champion the power of memory, uniquely…

Poetry

Landings – Fourth Review

By Richard | January 5, 2020January 6, 2020 by Richard

The fourth, and as I write, last but one, review of Landings, was by Greg Freeman for the Write Out Loud website. Greg finished the review with the following summary; yes, this is a collection about trains, and boats, and stadiums, and even stationery. But Richard Williams is capable of looking much further and often does; he has his eye beyond the shore of his “city by the sea”, gazing out to the horizon. You…

Poetry

Landings – Third Review

By Richard | January 4, 2020January 6, 2020 by Richard

The third review of Landings appeared in South Magazine issue 59. As South is a print only publication the review can’t be found online, so I am copying the whole review here in full. Landings – Richard Williams Dempsey & Windle 57 pp £8.00 (ISBN 978-1-907435-591) Language in this memorable collection is both precise and lyrical. In The Feng Shui shop on Fratton Road the area is bright with “sleet and oil and rainbows”. In…

Poetry

Landings – Second Review

By Richard | January 4, 2020January 6, 2020 by Richard

The second review for my first poetry collection appeared on the Star & Crescent website, and previously the Portsmouth University Eldon Review. Georgina Monk’s review was published in October 2018. It finished with the following summary; In Landings, Williams has created a new poetic map of Portsmouth based on a fascinating inner life lived in a city by the sea. You can read the review here: https://www.starandcrescent.org.uk/2018/10/29/richard-williams-landings-a-new-poetic-map-of-portsmouth/ Star and Crescent is a Portsmouth based award-winning local…

Poetry

Landings – First Review

By Richard | January 2, 2020January 2, 2020 by Richard

One reason for having this blog is to collect together any online references to my writing, including reviews – whilst I don’t have any particular expectation of making my fame and fortune from poetry it is nice to have somewhere to put them! The first review I had for my first collection was by David Green – who I previously worked with as joint editor of an edition of South Magazine. His review appeared on…