The Ringmaster's Apprentice
The Ringmaster's Apprentice
Oz Hardwick
Paperback
Oz Hardwick's fifth collection of poetry begins with the poet on a ‘bland train’, staring at a fox emerging from the railside bush. The narrator declares that between himself, trapped in a mundane scene of everyday reality, and the fox, immersed in nature, mystery and myth, ‘hangs more poetry than I will ever write’.
He then sets out to write it anyway, to fill that gap; to explore the space between the familiar and domestic, the extraordinary and exotic. In bringing these seemingly irreconcilable worlds together, in a circus of language, ideas, music and images, Hardwick has created a singular literary experience that can be devoured quickly, but will stay with readers for a long time afterwards.
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Imprint: Valley Press
Published: October 2014
ISBN: 9781908853431
Catalogue no: VP0058
Page count: 54
Trim size: 198 x 129 mm
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Praise for The Ringmaster's Apprentice:
“The poetry is as good as it gets. It should be read by thousands ... tens of thousands.”
— Kevin Bailey, HQ
“These poems sizzle on the page, playful with sound, images and expectations. Always empathetic but never patronising, Oz Hardwick asks us to look harder at a world we think we know.”
— Sarah Salway
“Wonderful, provocative and memorable. From Liverpool in the 60s to the ringmaster’s apprentice, Hardwick presents an array of characters and events that stay with you long after reading. In his hands the everyday becomes something special, to be cherished.”
— Jim Bennett, Poetry Kit
“These poems are miraculous. Hardwick’s latest collection has everything I ask for in poetry: it is thoughtful, provocative and has a warm, unsentimental heart. Will it be among my favourite books of 2014? Undoubtedly.”
— James Nash
About the author
Oz Hardwick was born in Plymouth, 1960, and now lives in York. He is the author of six collections of poetry, including The Ringmaster's Apprentice (2014), and The House of Ghosts and Mirrors (2017). He is a Professor of Creative Writing at Leeds Trinity University, and an accomplished photographer and musician.