Say Something Back will allow readers to see just why the name of Denise Riley has been held in such high regard by her fellow poets for so long. The book reproduces A Part Song, a profoundly moving document of grieving and loss, and one of the most widely admired long poems of recent years. Elsewhere these poems become a space for contemplation of the natural world and of physical law, and for the deep consideration of what it is to invoke those who are absent. But finally, they extend our sense of what the act of human speech can mean - and especially what is drawn forth from us when we address our dead. Lyric, intimate, acidly witty, unflinchingly brave, Say Something Back is a deeply moving book by one of our finest poets, and one destined to introduce Riley's name to a wide new readership.

The stunning new collection from one of England's finest and most philosophical contemporary poets.

About the Author
Denise Riley is a critically acclaimed writer of both philosophy and poetry. She is currently Professor of the History of Ideas and of Poetry at UEA. Her visiting positions have included A.D. White Professor at Cornell University in the US, Writer in Residence at the Tate Gallery in London, and Visiting Fellow at Birkbeck College in the University of London. She has taught philosophy, art history, poetics, and creative writing. Denise Riley lives in London.

Reviews
It sometimes seems that contemporary poetry divides into two sorts - those poems that did not need to be written and those written out of necessity. Denise Riley belongs to the second category - her writing is perfectly weighted, justifies its existence. It is impossible not to want to "say something back" to each of her poems in recognition of their outstanding quality. Her voice is strong and beautiful - an imperative in itself . . . remarkable * Guardian *
The best thing I've read in ages -- Max Porter, author of Grief Is the Thing with Feathers
Denise Riley's Say Something Back shows how grief keeps a different clock and is a churning yet exhilarating (because the poems are so good) exploration of loss. Her poetry gets to the heart -- Jackie Kay * Guardian *
I have been a fan of Denise Riley's for decades, and Say Something Back shows her working at her peak in a collection that is as rewarding as it is challenging -- John Burnside * Herald *
Denise Riley's collection Say Something Back , which includes her heart-piercing elegy to her son Jacob, 'A Part Song': the most powerful contemporary poem I've read in years. -- Robert Macfarlane
She's one of the best poets around -- Simon Armitage
The best thing I've read in ages. -- Sarah Perry, author of The Essex Serpent


Awards
Winner of Roehampton Poetry Prize 2017 (UK). Short-listed for Forward Prize for Poetry Best Collection 2016 (UK) and T. S. Eliot Prize 2017 (UK) and Costa Poetry Award 2017 (UK) and Griffin International Poetry Prize 2017 (UK).



Book Information
ISBN 9781447270379
Author Denise Riley
Format Paperback
Page Count 96
Imprint Picador
Publisher Pan Macmillan
Weight(grams) 155g
Dimensions(mm) 197mm * 153mm * 9mm