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Catching the Light
A New Anthology of Cricket Poetry
Brief Description
Catching the Light delves into the multifaceted nature of cricket, echoed in Douglas Jardine's assertion that 'cricket is battle and service and sport and art' as he devises harsh tactics to defeat the Australians in the 1930s. It's more than a game; it's also about class,...
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Format: Hardback
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See more‘What do they know of cricket who only cricket know?’ CLR James’ famous question can be heard within the poems of this anthology – the game is a vehicle for opening up an understanding of the world and our place in it, among ourselves, among nature, among history, in time.
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Description
Catching the Light delves into the multifaceted nature of cricket, echoed in Douglas Jardine's assertion that 'cricket is battle and service and sport and art' as he devises harsh tactics to defeat the Australians in the 1930s. It's more than a game; it's also about class, race, language, and introspection. Cricket is at once timeless and ephemeral, capturing the essence of Empire and its twilight, the cyclical nature of death and rebirth, childhood recollections, and sometimes, it's merely dust and sunburn.
The shattered dreams of wide-eyed children coexist with the pulsating rhythms of a day spent not only watching but feeling the game—measured, deliberate, and occasionally beyond control. The emotional spectrum of cricket's living theatre is thoroughly explored, where ordinary actions ascend to myth and then back to reality. The rhythms of play are both adhered to and disrupted.
Book Details
INFORMATION
ISBN: 9781915237767
Publisher: Fairfield Books
Format: Hardback
Date Published: 24 April 2026
Country: United Kingdom
Imprint: Fairfield Books
Contributors:
- Edited by Tim Beard
- Edited by Nicholas Hogg
Audience: General / adult
DIMENSIONS
Width: 113.0mm
Height: 162.0mm
Weight: 0g
Pages: 280
Collections
About the Author
Major poets like Ted Hughes, Simon Armitage and Sean O'Brien have all written poems that use cricket as metaphor for - for different things. Suspended moments, revenge, class - cricket as a vehicle. Sebastian Faulks has provided his first ever published poem, a haiku, full of longing. John Agard, the most Caribbean of poets, has several in this anthology - Give the ball to the Poet closes the collection. Poems from India, including work by Arundhathi Subramaniam, emerge through the lens of the status of the English language in that literary culture. We've moved on from nostalgia to a poetic world that is vibrant with inventive language, politically engaged and aware of the flaws and triumphs of our fellows. Brand new poems from Tim Key and Ian McMillan also feature. About the editors Nicholas Hogg is a prize-winning poet and novelist who used to be a fast bowler. His work brings an energetic, sometimes ferocious perspective. Nicholas is co-founder of the revived Authors XI, a team also featuring Tim Beard, a poet who reads a lot of detective fiction.
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