Poetry Book Society Special Commendation
Staying Human is the sequel to the Staying Alive trilogy of anthologies which have introduced many thousands of new readers to contemporary poetry. This fourth Bloodaxe world poetry anthology offers poetry lovers an even broader, international selection of 500 more 'real poems for unreal times', with a strong focus on 21st-century poems addressing current issues. The range of poetry here complements that of the first three anthologies: hundreds of thoughtful and passionate poems about living in the modern world; poems that touch the heart, stir the mind and fire the spirit; poems about what makes us human, about love and loss, fear and longing, hurt and wonder; talismanic poems which have become personal survival testaments for many. There's a strong focus on the human side of living in the 21st century in poems from the past two decades relating to migration, oppression, alienation and the individual's struggle to hold on, stay connected and find meaning in an increasingly polarised world. Staying Human also draws on poems suggested by readers because they've been so important in their own lives, as well as many poems which have gone viral after being shared on social media because they speak to our times with such great immediacy. And there are poems from around the world written in response to the 2020 coronavirus pandemic.
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(@BloodaxeBooks, 1 October 2020, ebook, 528 pages, copy from the publisher via @edelweiss_squad and voluntarily reviewed, edited by Neil Astley, various poets)
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The Staying Alive trilogy is among the first poetry collections I read when I started to get into poetry, many years ago. I was excited about reading this new collection, given what a year this has been. I wanted something to elevate my mood. And I got it. This is an epic poetry collection at almost 600 pages. I'm glad I read a digital copy and didn't get RPI from hefting around a doorstop paperback. That's happened before. I read a lot of thick books so I guess it's my fault. Saying Human like its predecessors is split into themed sections. There are some familiar names here such as U.A Fanthorpe, Mimi Khalvati, Charles Simic, Derek Mahon and Denise Levertov to name but a few. The poems are all unique and cover a wide array of styles and subjects. Among my favourites were When Someone Goes Away Everything That's Been Done Comes Back by Nikola Madzirov, So by Alison Brackenbury, Sheep by Fiona Benson, Poem by Simon Armitage, High Land by Jackie Kay, The End of the Bed by Caroline Bird, Belfast Waking 6am by Colette Bryce, And If by Moniza Alvi, Travelling As We Are by James Berry and Dominion by David Constantine.
