I have always loved the mixture of strictness and susceptibility in Norman MacCaig's work. It is an ongoing education in the marvellous possibilities of lyric poetry … He means poetry to me' — Seamus Heaney 'Norman MacCaig is an indispensable poet, and his Collected Poems is a wonder-book which will give years of pleasure' — Douglas Dunn 'Magisterial' — The Herald 'Deeply lyrical yet crystal clear in its language, MacCaig's poetry is a must-have' — Sunday Herald This collection of Norman MacCaig's poems is offered as the definitive edition of his work. It has been edited by his son, Ewen. A prolific writer, MacCaig left about 600 unpublished poems after his death; 99 have been selected for inclusion here. The aim of the selection process was to sustain the overall quality of the 1990 Collected Poems, which was compiled by the poet. Unusually, MacCaig's creativity did not decline with age, and most of the unpublished poems date from his seventies and early eighties, adding significantly to his published work from that period. Insight to the writer's life and work is provided in an appreciative introduction by author and critic Alan Taylor, focusing on MacCaig's life and times, and in a collection of MacCaig's words on his own and others' writing.
