Bevel

Letford William

"Bevel" is William Letford's first book, but his poems have already earned him a large following thanks to his brilliant performances and through Carcanet's "New Poetries V" anthology. Letford makes poems from the rhythms of speech and the stuff of daily life: work and love, seasons and cities, and his writing is alive with the wonder and comedy of the mundane. Bevel is filled with voices – "an he says / A love the summer / it's hoat / ye kin wear yer shoarts..." – and with the knowledge that becomes engrained in the body: "The weight of a drill. The texture of rust".

Letford works as a roofer, a trade that gives him a particular perspective on life at ground level. "Be prepared", he writes: pay attention to the moment, know which way to fall. His poems are sure and strong, the words dance.

About the Author

William Letford has worked as a roofer, on and off, since he was fifteen years old. He has received a New Writer's Award from the Scottish Book Trust and an Edwin Morgan Travel Bursary which allowed him to spend three months in the mountains of northern Italy helping to restore a medieval village. He has an M. Litt in Creative Writing from the University of Glasgow.

Reviews

"The pleasure I have gained from William Letford's poems... will, I am confident, stay with me for ever" – Nicholas Lezard, "The Guardian"

"William Letford is the future of Scottish poetry" – Mark Buckland, Cargo Publishing

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