The Country at My Shoulder

This is Moniza Alvi's first full-length collection of poems, some of which were joint-winner of the 1991 Poetry Business Competition. At the heart of the collection is a group of poems called `Presents from Pakistan', which explores the gathering significance to the poet of her birthplace. Many people in Britain today have a `country at their shoulder' - a homeland left behind, or a birthplace seldom, perhaps never, visited, but nevertheless a vital part of their imaginary and real lives. Highlighting the uneasy as well as the celebratory, the poems in this collection are diverse in both subject and approach. They are written with a light touch, but they are rich in imagery, and the poet's voice, though delicate, is distinct and memorable. This book is intended for readers of poetry; libraries; sixth-formers and undergraduates.