Thoughtful, lyrical, stylish and occasionally brutal to the point of tears, Provocations is a model of new writing and of how to publish poetry. Building on the format of Alistair's previous book Pretty Creatures ('a joy to handle, the black and white photos...like another voice, adding and expanding the mood') it brings together words, images and three linked essays that together invite the reader to experience and to reflect on the making of poetry.

Poems: Alistair Bamford

Images: Nigel Bewley, Paul Bonomini, John Clarke, Jane Glennie, Lucy Kayne, Melissa Youell