Our Worst Suspicions
This is John Birtwhistle's first collection of poems since "Tidal Models" (1980). Its energy and concentration come out of an interest in a wide variety of formal models – from Chinese lyrics and Imagism to Anglo-Saxon riddles and Surrealism – and an appreciation of certain key twentieth-century radical poets: Breton, Eluard, Ho Chi Minh, Neruda, Ritsos and Fortini. Political disquiet, expressive tenderness, and a care for ordering, edge against each other in the poetry. Dennis O'Driscoll commented in "Hibernia" that "a sweeping imagination ranges over past and future, pastoral and urban themes". Reviewing his last book, John Heath-Stubbs described Birtwhistle as "an ambitious and original poet, not afraid to take chances", singling out a group of poems on Conamara as "altogether admirable for their exact and loving observation".
About the author
John Birtwhistle was born in 1946. His poetry has been recognized by an Eric Gregory Award, an Arts Council bursary, an Arts Council creative writing fellowship (1976-1977, renewed for 1977-1978), a writing fellowship at the University of Southampton (1978-80) and a Poetry Book Society Recommendation for Our Worst Suspicions (1985). He has had three concert libretti set and performed; of these, David Blake's The Plumber's Gift was staged by English National Opera and broadcast on Radio 3. From 1980, he was a Lecturer in English at the University of York before deciding to concentrate on bringing up his children. Since 1992 he has lived in Sheffield with his wife, son and daughter.