Strategies For Confronting Fear

Anthony Lawrence is one of Australia's
most highly-regarded poets and winner of two
of the country's most prestigious poetry prizes.
He characteristically sets his poems within
powerful landscapes and seascapes. There is a
dramatic confrontation in them, between the
elemental forces of nature, and those within
the consciousness of his characters. His focus
is on relationships, the rhythms of work, and
the presence of danger in these primal settings.

In an interview, Lawrence says of his work:
"I'd like to think that a couple of my poems
achieve this tricky balance: landscape veined
with humanity, flora, fauna, what's imagined
and what's experienced ... I write about nature
to define my life."

Strategies for Confronting Fear, a selection
from six of his nine published collections of
poetry plus a body of new work, is Lawrence's
first volume of poetry to be published in the
UK.

"Lawrence's work is accessible while still
retaining the integrity of a unique poetic
vision."
Australian Book Review

ANTHONY LAWRENCE was born in 1957 and left school at 16, working first as a jackeroo and then travelling for several years before returning to New South Wales to become a teacher and writer. While working as a fisherman in Western Australia, he secured a literary fellowship which
enabled him to devote time to writing poetry. He has won numerous awards for his poetry, including a Senior Fellowship from the Australia Council, one of the most prestigious funding awards a writer can be accorded in Australia.