Kingston University Press
PRESS RELEASE
KUP publishes Jizz—New and Selected Poems by John Davies
One definition of jizz in the Oxford English Dictionary is the “characteristic impression given by a particular species”. In his poetry, John Davies captures the jizz of a particular moment or experience, the variegation, zest, piquancy and poignancy of life itself.
Jizz—New and Selected Poems by John Davies is a bird’s eye view on life that’s both touching and playful. It’s a whizz round life’s big events and little foibles, a quick flutter through beginnings and endings – and all kinds of birds. These are snapshots of a life lived, delights and griefs, moments of drama or comedy, insights behind the world we take for granted or gratitude for the fact that we can.
The poems were selected and the collection edited by Dr David Rogers, Director of Kingston Writing School, Kingston University.
Advance praise for Jizz:
“In this gathering of work, we see a weighing up of what matters – family, freedom, friends, fun. This is a life-enhancing collection that will surprise you and make you take stock. It is wise, unsentimental, honest and perceptive.” Jackie Wills
“One of Davies’s many strengths is the way he handles the ironic and the comic with exceptional ease and poise.This volume will make you laugh, reflect, mourn, forgive” Sudeep Sen
“This collection presents a nuanced web-work of familial experience, vivid and detailed, tracing an arc from a welcome to a newborn along to a greeting of parental spirits from the past. The natural world is richly observed, full of aspects of the elements of earth, air, fire, and water in poems alive with colour, texture, and pace. A sparing use of rueful wit plus a varied and strong use of form further distinguish this exciting new collection.” Penelope Shuttle
“An impressive collection. Always well-crafted, in a variety of forms, these poems have a powerful authenticity.” Brendan Cleary
Jizz—New and Selected Poems by John Davies
ISBN 978-1-909362-13-0 £9.99
John Davies is available for interviews and events. Please contact Meredith Collins, Publicist. meredith@ischgabibble.com