Publisher: Latorre-Editore
A sepal, petal, and a thorn Upon a common summer's morn - A flash of Dew, a Bee or two - A Breeze A caper in the trees - And I'm a Rose!
John Donne was born on 22nd January 1572 in London into a Roman Catholic family when Catholicism was illegal in England and there was turbulence and unrest with both state and church throughout much of Europe. His father, also named John, died when he was 4 and his mother, Elizabeth Heywood married a wealthy widower, ensuring the family were looked after. He received a good education in both Oxford and Cambridge but was unable to obtain a degree without taking the Oath of Supremacy, which as a Catholic, he refused to do. During the 1590's Donne wrote a wide range of verse including both erotic and sacred poems, creating two major volumes of work. His strong, vivacious and sensual style fusing intellect and passion as well as inventive use of subtle argument and syntax provided a new radical perspective that reached beyond his contemporaries and continues to chime and charm poetry lovers throughout the ages. Difficult to believe that with this enormous talent, Donne, lived in poverty for many years, exacerbated by his secret marriage to Ann More, which meant no dowry, and their having twelve children. Later he served in Parliament and became Dean of St Pauls in 1621, noted for his learned and charismatic sermons. John Donne died in London on 31st March, 1631 but leaves an enormous legacy of many splendid and influential poems. He was known as the founder of the Metaphysical Poets and is widely regarded as one of Britain's best loved poets. This volume comes to you from Portable Poetry, a specialized imprint from Deadtree Publishing. Our range is large and growing and covers single poets, themes, and many compilations.Show book
'First and foremost, this is a meeting. Of which you now have the deciding vote. Which proposal will it be?' In the Irish offices of a corporate firm, three employees have their lunch hour to determine how best to spend their company's annual Corporate Social Responsibility budget. Behind a locked door and out of sight of management, the task escalates into an increasingly outlandish and hilarious debate, revealing secret passions and uncomfortable truths. Caitríona Daly's The Lunch Punch Power Hour in Conference Room 4 is a madcap, hilarious and insightful play about power structures, escapism and resistance. It premiered at the Abbey Theatre, Dublin, in 2025, directed by Raymond Keane.Show book
'This is what it feels like to have something to lose. This is why people only fight when they've got nothing to lose.' It's the early 1990s and recovering addict Frankie Donnelly has just been sentenced to three and a half years in jail for dealing drugs. None of Frankie's fellow convicts are what they seem. In the most unexpected of places, he discovers that the revolution is not dead. It's just sleeping. Ordinary Decent Criminal by Ed Edwards is a one-man story of freedom, revolution and messy love. It was first performed on a tour of the UK in 2025 – including a run at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, where it won a Fringe First Award – directed by Charlotte Bennett and starring renowned political comedian Mark Thomas. It was produced by Paines Plough, Live Theatre, Theatre Royal Plymouth and Ellie Keel Productions, in association with Synergy Theatre Project. This edition also includes the stirring short play Sanctuary which explores the true-life story of Sri Lankan communist Viraj Mendis, who spent two years seeking sanctuary in a Manchester church in the 1980s.Show book
Perhaps all lives start as a well-constructed novel. A series of vignettes follow, some comedic, some mired in tragedy. Sometimes we try to shape our destiny, other times it shapes us. Suddenly in the blink of an eye, we enter the final run-in. For me, this late freedom is best served by poetry, life’s essence distilled. Holding close to family and friends and showing kindness to strangers and those in need. Observing at leisure the many human aspects of Britain, Europe and latterly India has sparked a rekindling of the freedoms and insights that can come with age. The many experiences we have stored away in our busy lives can come tumbling out. Appealing to all ages, anyone who has marvelled at the depth, complexity commonality and diversity of our fellow humans can accompany me on this journey. Feel free to join me at any time. These poems are the continuation of that journey.Show book
'Imagine yourself as a file on a computer: that's you. That's what you are now.' A woman wakes up in 2075, in a body that is not her own. Fifty years ago, Bridget died in a car accident. Now, thanks to a technological breakthrough, she is back: her mind, her consciousness, in a synthetic body. Metal. Wires. But she's still Bridget, isn't she? She must be. More Life is a sci-fi gothic horror, set in a future where pain and death are going rapidly out of date. It premiered at the Royal Court Theatre, London, in 2025, in a production made in association with Kandinsky Theatre Company.Show book
The language of Poetry is an art that most of us attempt at some point in our lives. Although its commonplace exposure has been somewhat marginalised in today’s often fast-paced lives we all recognise good verse that can empathise with our thoughts or open us up to experience new things in new ways, to better understand and to enjoy the many strands of our lives. But finding a starting point can be overwhelming, even off-putting, so in this series we offer up our Top 10 classic poets, who brim with talent and verse, on a range of subjects and themes that we can all enjoy. The United States may be far younger than many nations on Earth, yet its tumultuous history has reaped a harvest of poets and poetry of very fine calibre. In this volume we explore the verse of New England.Show book
