New anthology Catching the Light features New Zealand cricket poems

This month I received my contributor’s copy of a new anthology of cricket poetry issued by leading cricket book publisher Fairfield Books in England. 

The editors Nicholas Hogg and Tim Beard are poets and members of the Authors XI. It is titled Catching the Light: A New Anthology of Cricket Poetry, and features major poets Simon Armitage and Ted Hughes, along with a haiku by Sebastian Faulks. Well known English cricket poets like Norman Gale, Simon Rae, John Arlott and Alan Ross are represented. John Agard gives it a Caribbean flavour. John Kinsella, Les Murray and Chris Wallace-Crabbe are some who represent Australia.

At first glance I noticed the English cricket poets Arthur Salway and David Fines were missing along with Australian Peter Fenton. Salway wrote a book of cricket poetry, Fenton wrote Cricket in Verse in Australia and Fine’s ashes poems followed the Ashes and was featured in The Guardian newspaper online Poet goes into bat for Ashes tour | Books | The Guardian. New Zealand cricket writers Harry Ricketts, Brian Turner and Michael O'Leary warrant inclusion.

I don’t intend to make a list of poets missing but congratulate the editors on their considerable reading work done. Luckily I was only selecting New Zealand related poems for mine. They read hundreds of poems for the book, selecting work from several countries and continents, and any selection is subjective as they state. I have enjoyed reading through it and will receive much pleasure from the book for years to come. It is already added to my list of favourite cricket books on my blog.

My poem included is ‘Summer Days’ which is almost a haiku type poem which was used as an introductory poem to my collection Slips in 2021 published by HeadworX my publishing company and sold on lulu internationally.

I am given a mention in the editor’s notes for producing the “powerful anthology” A Tinging Catch. There are about 10 poems from the book included. It is good recognition for my editing and publishing work in England in the cricket community there.

Poems chosen were ‘Brett Lee’ by Nick Whittock (an Australian), ‘Karori Park’ by Nelson Wattie, ‘The Outfield’ by James Brown, ‘How does your sun?’ by Nicola Easthope, ‘From the late great Blackball Bridge Sonnets’ by Jeffrey Paparoa Holman, ‘Bowl a Maiden Over’ by Anne Louise Philpott, ‘The intense disciple: Richard Hadlee shade and light’ by Robin McConnell, ‘Under Cover’ by Jenny Powell, and ‘Cricket Song I’ and ‘Cricket Song II’ by Cyril Childs. Congratulations to all those who were selected.

Jenny Powell also contributes a new cricket poem especially for the anthology. A nice recognition for a writer worthy of international attention. I first published her work with HeadworX, and she has gone on to be a well-established writer in New Zealand. Her new book Biology Field Trip has been released by Cold Hub Press this year.

Here’s a link to the publisher’s website in England: Catching the Light - Fairfield Books. Fairfield's Matt Thacker deserves commendation for this attractively produced volume, which is about 300 pages, hardback, and a smaller size publication which fits into a mail bag easily.  Like the Everyman's Poetry Series.

Catching the Light appears to be in Paper Plus, Bateman Books and Bruce McKenzie Booksellers in New Zealand, but is retailing expensively here, and I would advise people to order through Amazon. Here are links to reviews:

CATCHING THE LIGHT: A NEW ANTHOLOGY OF CRICKET POETRY | Wisden Cricket Monthly Issue 96

Derbyshire Cricket - Peakfan's blog: Book Review - Catching The Light: A New Anthology of Cricket Poetry

CATCHING THE LIGHT edited by Nicholas Hogg and Tim Beard :: Book Review