John Burnside

The best recent poetry – review roundup

Learning to Sleep by John Burnside; A Year in the New Life by Jack Underwood; Lyonesse by Penelope Shuttle; The Wild Fox of Yemen by Threa Almontaser; and Ballad of a Happy Immigrant by Leo Boix

Rishi Dastidar

06, Aug, 2021 @11:00 AM

Still Life With Feeding Snake by John Burnside review – master of the parallel universe

Levity and gravity make perfect bedfellows in the Scottish poet’s 15th collection

Kate Kellaway

14, Mar, 2017 @7:30 AM

Ashland & Vine by John Burnside – review

An old woman tells her life story to a student struggling with alcoholism in a novel recalling the tales of Scheherazade

Lucy Scholes

12, Feb, 2017 @11:00 AM

John Burnside: ‘Writing is what I steal from the usual flow of things’

The prolific poet and novelist on insomnia, noise sensitivity and the glorious salvation of the writer’s residency

John Burnside

04, Feb, 2017 @9:59 AM

Ashland & Vine by John Burnside review – the redemptive power of listening

An elderly woman tells the story of her life to a young alcoholic in this lyrical, thought-provoking tale which thumbs its nose at narrative convention

Marcel Theroux

21, Jan, 2017 @7:30 AM

Welcome to Lagos by Chibundu Onuzo review – high hopes, big city

Fugitives and dreamers make a new start in an impressive, if wishful, portrait of Nigerian life

Helon Habila

18, Jan, 2017 @12:00 PM

Man Booker 2015: shortlisted novels full of 'terrible stuff', admits judge

Prof Michael Wood says diverse tales by four men and two women explore grim themes including self-harm, child abuse and murder

Mark Brown

15, Sep, 2015 @3:47 PM

David Harsent wins TS Eliot prize for poetry for Fire Songs

Creative writing professor takes home £20,000 prize for his 11th collection of work after four previous appearances on shortlist

Maev Kennedy

12, Jan, 2015 @7:36 PM

Scottish writers on the referendum – independence day?

Should Scotland go it alone? As the referendum approaches, leading Scottish writers give their thoughts

Val McDermid, Irvine Welsh, James Meek, Richard Holloway, Allan Massie, Kathleen Jamie, Alan Warner, John Burnside, Janice Galloway and AL Kennedy

19, Jul, 2014 @8:00 AM

A book for the beach: I Put a Spell on You by John Burnside

This is a book that will change you and your understanding of life – and do so without taking up too much of your holiday time

Madeleine Bunting

17, Jul, 2014 @1:05 PM

Jeremy Paxman says poets must start engaging with ordinary people

Outgoing Newsnight presenter, judging Forward prize for poetry, says poetry has 'rather connived at its own irrelevance'

Alison Flood

01, Jun, 2014 @9:00 PM

I Put a Spell on You review – John Burnside's path less travelled

Kate Kellaway finds prose full of wonders in a digressive but consuming memoir by one of Britain's foremost poets