Fighting Talk
A COVID-19 Poetry Diary
Published on 21. October 2020
Book
Paperback/Softback
146 pages
978-1-8381185-0-1 (ISBN)
Description
Composed throughout the initial phase of the UK's coronavirus lockdown, 'National Reading Hero' Paul Cookson's poetry diary covers the period of 23rd March to 3rd July 2020. Compassionate, societal, political and principled, and laced with the author's renowned humour, here is an extraordinary collection for extraordinary times and a reflective discourse on the mood of a nation.
"Paul Cookson is a poet for all seasons and all occasions. He's never going to let a worldwide pandemic curb his creativity. COVID-19 will give up before he does. This book takes you on a Corolla-Coaster of emotions, but don't worry - with Paul you are in safe and well washed hands." - Henry Normal;
"Paul somehow manages to season his cogent observations of COVID-19 with a dash of humour that makes you want to dip in again and again. He has you wishing you could drop in and join him for his daily cup of tea." - Valerie Bloom;
"Witty and wise, astute and acerbic, Paul Cookson and Chris Riddell are a dream team for these nightmarish times." - Tony Walsh
"Paul Cookson is a poet for all seasons and all occasions. He's never going to let a worldwide pandemic curb his creativity. COVID-19 will give up before he does. This book takes you on a Corolla-Coaster of emotions, but don't worry - with Paul you are in safe and well washed hands." - Henry Normal;
"Paul somehow manages to season his cogent observations of COVID-19 with a dash of humour that makes you want to dip in again and again. He has you wishing you could drop in and join him for his daily cup of tea." - Valerie Bloom;
"Witty and wise, astute and acerbic, Paul Cookson and Chris Riddell are a dream team for these nightmarish times." - Tony Walsh
Reviews / Votes
Praise for Paul Cookson's work: "Every day should have a Paul Cookson moment." - Simon Mayo; "Simple, direct and poetic. Caring, compassionate and funny." - Ian McMillan; "Hilarious." - The Times; "Wordsmithery of the highest order and wittiest bent." - Mark RadcliffeMore details
Language
English
Place of publication
Manchester
United Kingdom
Illustrations
25 black & white
Dimensions
Height: 197 mm
Width: 134 mm
ISBN-13
978-1-8381185-0-1 (9781838118501)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Persons
Paul Cookson was born in 1961, brought up near Preston, and now lives in Retford, Notts. He has worked as a poet since 1989, performing in schools and libraries, and at literature festivals and events across the world. As well as being Poet-in-Residence for The National Football Museum and Everton in the Community, he is Writer-in-Residence for Sing Together, which involves 125 Lancastrian schools and over 5000 children and 400 teachers. He is also Poet Laureate for Slade, has written a book of poems about the band and performed with Noddy Holder, Jim Lea and Don Powell. He is now part of Don Powell's Occasional Flames and is currently working on their second album. Paul has more than sixty titles to his name and over a million book sales, and with a quarter of a million copies sold, the anthology The Works has become a teacher's 'poetry Bible'. You can visit his website at www.paulcooksonpoet.co.uk and follow all of his poems daily on Twitter @paulcooksonpoet.