Synopsis
Collecting work from 1958–1985, Other Passports is an unforgettable selection of poetry from the much-loved author of Unreliable Memoirs, Clive James.
'Clive James is a true poet' – Peter Porter, London Review of Books
With verse spanning his wide range of knowledge and interests, this is the collection that earned James comparisons to Byron and confirmed his status as a 'true poet'.
With his trademark wit and humour, Other Passports showcases his lyrical style, alongside parodies, imitations and lampoons.
Clive James (1939–2019) was a broadcaster, critic, poet, memoirist and novelist. His acclaimed poetry includes the collection Sentenced to Life and a translation of Dante's The Divine Comedy, both Sunday Times bestsellers. His passion for and knowledge of poetry are distilled in his book of criticism on the subject, Poetry Notebook, and, written in the last year of his life, his personal annotated anthology of favourite poems, The Fire Of Joy.
Praise for Clive James:
'He will be seen, I think, as one of the most important and influential writers of our time' – Bryan Appleyard, Sunday Times
'Wise, witty, terrifying, unflinching and extraordinarily alive' – A.S. Byatt, critic and author of Possession: A Romance
'Intelligent, witty, skilful, highly crafted and, under the lightness, serious: deadly serious, in fact' – George Szirtes, poet and translator
Details
06 April 2017
9781509832415Reviews
Clive James is a brilliant bunch of guysNew Yorker
Clive James is a true poet. Line after line of his has a characteristic personal tone, a kind of end-stopped singingness which is almost independent of what it says . . . It is precisely because he harps so much on poetry as a public art with a responsibility to its readers of satisfying their expectations of form and meaning, that it is important to stress his latent loyalty to poetry as beautiful languagePeter Porter, London Review of Books
I approached the book with dread and was quite overwhelmed by it. It seemed to me to be persuasive, moving, intelligent. It was a commentary on our times and on the worldFay Weldon
Brilliant, amusing and technically dazzling poetry . . . Few poets since Bryon have handled ottava rima with such dexterity and confidence. Part of fun we derive from reading James come from his delighted awareness of the risks he is running and the skill and cleverness with which he is coping with the challengeThe Weekend Australian
