Fellini Beach

The diverse themes and textures of Tim Liardet's new collection of poems are intricately wrought and almost operatic in scope and intensity. The poems of section I are not casual, 'occasional' poems, but dramas with atmospheric sets, peopled by mad, eccentric or Felliniesque characters, such as "A Spinster on The London Underground", "Nietzsche at the Villa Silberblick", or the mysterious valet Wetherton and his 'Captain' in "Palimpsest for a Radio Play". The author's dedication to classical forms and rhyme is counterpointed by ironic humour and a playful delight in gothic detail. Section II includes poems from a closer, personal perspective, on family, erotic love, childhood, adolescence, and even a trip to the dentist - all characterised by Liardet's sharp and quirky observations.