Art of Insomnia

''There occurs an uprooting'' writes Peter A. in Helenium One and Only, a poem from his deeply moving collection Art of Insomnia, and this line epitomises the book''s theme - the sudden absence of a much-loved wife, lost suddenly and tragically. The music of this grieving collection is various - sometimes staccato, stark, and direct, (''I have to escape / the persistence of kindness''), sometimes fluid and unfurling, long single stanzas rushing down the page, other times nakedly confessional or poignantly self-critical (''Some people think you''re better/ than you actually are''), and other times spare, and with careful end rhyme (''Though in moments still/quiet teardrops spill''). An orchestral collection of many parts, it is enriching in its diversity, a sustained song of grief which is compelling and affecting.
Art of Insomnia is a moving conversation with a loved wife, and more broadly with anyone who has suffered a loss. It is a eulogy for that which is lost and yet equally a brave celebration of the solaces to be found in life - friendship, community and, as this vital and potent collection proves, in poetry itself.''
- Anna Saunders - author of Burne Jones and the Fox, Ghosting for Beginners, and Feverfew, (Indigo Dreams)