'These annual anthologies of the poems in the running for the Forward Prizes remain the best way of encountering the richness that new poetry has to offer.' Daily Telegraph
The Forward Book of Poetry 2020 brings together a selection of the best poetry published in the British Isles over the last year, including the winners of the 2019 Forward Prizes - and a foreword by jury chair Shahidha Bari.
She and her fellow judges - Jamie Andrews of the British Library, plus poets Tara Bergin, Andrew McMillan and Carol Rumens - read a year's worth of new collections plus selected poems from magazines and competitions before arriving at their choices.
In celebrating today's fresh voices alongside new work by familiar names, this anthology offers both an overview of the current poetry scene and a great introduction to contemporary poets.
'The Forward collection is a cornucopia of sweet and sour delights . . . Why read poetry at all? Because these firework-bursts of words can lighten the darkest skies.' Daily Mail