I’ve been ruthless in only including books I’ve finished, which rules out Claire Crowther, James Schuyler, Edwin Morgan, Richard Price, Alan Gillis, and W.S Graham – whose books I am still reading (I tend to read several books at the one time). Some of them, perhaps all, may well feature in my 2008 lists. I won’t finish any of them before the end of the year as I am reading two huge Selected Poems sent to me for review by a magazine and have no time to read anything else.
Favourite Poetry Books published in 2007
The Parthian Stations – John Ash (Carcanet)
The Harbour Beyond the Movie – Luke Kennard (Salt)
Travelator – Steven Waling (Salt)
Favourite Poetry Books read in 2007 (but not published then)
The Never-Never – Kathryn Gray (Seren)
Selected Poems – Mark Strand (Carcanet)
Fire Stations – AB Jackson (Anvil)
The Deleted World – Tomas Transtromer (Enitharmon)
Masculinity – Robert Crawford (Cape)
The Truth of Poetry – Michael Hamburger (Anvil)
Coming to Terms – Harry Guest (Anvil)
The Throne of the Third Heaven of the Nations Millennium General Assembly – Denis Johnson (Harper Perennial)
Carbon Atom – Alexander Hutchison (Link-Light)
A Little Book of Meat – Selima Hill (Bloodaxe)
Green Sees Things in Waves – August Kleinzahler (Faber & Faber)
Favourite Chapbooks/Pamphlets of 2007
The Small Hours – Tom Duddy (HappenStance)
Smoke – Jenni Daiches (Kettillonia)
Payday Loans – Jee Leong Koh (Poets Wear Prada)
Cabinet d'Amateur - Andrew Shields (Darling)
19th Century Blues – Patrick McGuinness (Smith/Doorstop)
The Body in the Well – Gregory Leadbetter (HappenStance)
Super Try Again – Roddy Lumsden (Donut)
Favourite Poetry Magazines
Magma
Orbis
Favourite Poetry Webzines
Stride
qarrtsiluni
Most Provocative Essay on Poetry
Fear of Narrative and the Skittery Poem of Our Moment – Tony Hoagland
Best Live Poetry Gig
Of events I have been involved in, the HappenStance reading at Carlisle was brilliant, and Roddy Lumsden, AB Jackson, and Andrew Philip at the Great Grog, Edinburgh, would take a lot of beating.
Mark Strand at StAnza 2007 was terrific.
