Contraflow: Lines on Englishness, 1922-2022
Edited by Kevin Gardner and John Greening
Poets have grappled with the vexed question of what constitutes Englishness since time immemorial, and the poetry of the past century has seen perhaps some of the biggest evolutions in national identity.
Contraflow takes a completely new approach to the subject of Englishness, and in this stimulating and entertaining anthology two poetic currents flow against each other, so that different decades merge, well-known stanzas brushing shoulders with more neglected verse.
What emerges is an extraordinary mosaic of poetic responses to English history, culture and landscape – satirical, visionary, lyrical, comic, political, meditative – yet one which offers a recognisable picture of a land both united and divided through a hundred years.
A Guardian and Sunday Times poetry book of the year
London: Renard Press, August 30, 2023
ISBN 9781804470374
"An attractive anthology of poems about Englishness of one kind or another." Seamus Perry TLS
"A fascinating and rewarding selection, which provides a great deal of pleasure." Jonathan Taylor Under the Radar
"A thoughtful collection which has had me chasing up the work of poets I would probably never have encountered." The Betjeman Society Newsletter
"Editors John Greening and Kevin Gardner use an imaginative selection and arrangement of poems to uncover revelatory angles on an otherwise well-trodden subject." Rishi Dastidar, The Guardian
"A treasure trove for poetry lovers… The editors… have cleverly set familiar voices of the past alongside some of today’s best poets… If you tend not to read anything later than Larkin, this is a great way to bring yourself up to date." Graeme Richardson, The Times