64 pages of poetry, 13 pages of fiction, and 35 pages of poetry reviews. Not all the writers have produced books yet, though they're all experienced. Poems that particularly caught my eye were by Helen Calcutt, Sarah James, Jacqueline Sapra and William Stephenson.
The reviewers are given space (often 2 or 3 pages per book) to explore the works, and they do so impressively. Peter Carpenter is well read (quoting Larkin, Gunn, Hugo Williams, Julian Stannard, Hardy, C.K Williams, Mcfarlane, etc) while keeping the focus very much on the works. John Foggin uses the space more to quote and discuss extracts. He reviews Fiona Benson's "Bright Travellers" in a way that made me want to read the book. Then I remembered that I already have, putting a write-up online, though our quotes don't overlap, mostly because his review, like the others in this issue, is a glass-half-full one - a refreshing policy.
It's a bargain at 5 quid. Matt Merritt and Maria Taylor co-edit too.
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