About the Author

Nigel Jarrett is a freelance writer, a former daily-newspaper reporter and a winner of the Rhys Davies Prize for short fiction. For many years he has been music critic of the South Wales Argus. Born in Cwmbran, he was educated at West Mon School, Pontypool, and at Cardiff University. His collection of short stories, Funderland, was published by Parthian in 2011. Nigel's prize- winning short story 'Mrs Kuroda on Penyfan' will be included in the forthcoming Library of Wales Short Story Anthology. He has led writing workshops, judged writing competitions and is a frequent guest-speaker, lately at the Newport and Gwent Literary Club. He likes drawing, never tires of watching his cat and is insanely devoted to jazz. He lives in Chepstow.

Reviews

This compelling collection of poems, based loosely on his grandfathers' hard-lived lives as Welsh miners, proves Nigel Jarrett to be master of his own voice. These honed, varied poems, with their strikingly original and accurate images and bigness of vision, capture eras still in living memory, including the two world wars, not only in Wales's history, but also in England's. Jarrett, in this virtuoso performance, offers the reader brilliant, driven testimonies to ways of life both gone and carrying on.' - Patricia McCarthy, editor, Agenda '...as a music critic by profession, Jarrett has a marvellous ear...' Guardian