So here’s some cracking news for what would otherwise be a miserable day (rain, and the first of my mother’s birthdays without her): ‘Soft Touch’ is now available to buy (well, to order before its proper publication date of February 1st). Ta da!
Soft Touch is my book of 20 poems chosen by the UK Poet Laureate Carol Ann Duffy in her Laureate’s Choice series for 2019.
I’m not hiding my light under a bushel here (although I might be found hiding under the table after the book is launched). Here are some of the endorsements it has garnered so far:
From Jane Clarke, poet: “Louise G. Cole captures the world around her with humour, tenderness and lyrical panache. Her poems fizz with vibrant detail. She uses language assuredly to create a resonant soundscape that is as moving as it is playful, as compassionate as it is exacting, as fresh as it is wise.”
From Dermot Bolger, author, poet and playwright: “Sharp-edged and sharp-witted; richly humane and darkly humorous, Louise G. Cole’s voice does not just demand our attention but hijacks it with rich vignettes of human life, shot through with wry, cleared-sighted insights which weave the everyday into striking poems. These poems manage the deft feat of being both crystalline and subtle, remaining utterly true to the original experiences that shaped them, reshaping those experiences into deeply original poems which often make the reader catch their breath, seeing the familiar transposed in a fresh light.”
From Rita Ann Higgins, poet: “Louise G Cole has a strong sense of place, an even stronger sense of mischief. She meanders into her poems quietly, but always finds some intricate detail to keep us hooked. She is an accomplished observer of ordinary people and the little things they let slip. She weaves them into unforgettable poems.”
So, if you’d like to hear me read some of the poems from Soft Touch there are two upcoming events in Dublin, open invitation, free to attend (and there’s probably a complimentary glass of something included by way of encouragement):
Poetry Ireland event, January 17th 2019, 7pm
Books Upstairs event, January 27th 2019, 3pm
Meanwhile, Carol Ann Duffy’s tenure as Poet Laureate ends this year, and to mark the occasion there’s an anthology coming out in May, featuring me as one of 24 ‘promising’ poets she’s showcased over the past four years.
Phew! Now I think I need to go and practice lying down under tables…
Louise G Cole, Writer 