Dear Mr Asquith

Overall winner of the 2009 Poetry Business Book & Pamphlet Competition, chosen by Andrew Motion. "These are fulfilled poems, written with a depth of feeling and lack of ostentation. The first part of the book holds many poems about family and friends seen through a child's cool eye. Lives are summed up by single details that illuminate not just a person but a generation of men and women tarnished by war, poverty and ignorance. The second half of the book reaches new heights. The poems trawl historical records to tell hidden stories of ordinary, often hesitant, women who performed brave, dangerous and tragic acts in the name of Votes for Women. Already a prizewinning collection, Dear Mr Asquith deserves every accolade going. A necessary read." - Janet Fisher