80 At 80
80 At 80 by Paul Durcan is a new selection of the poet’s finest works, published by Penguin Random House in 2024. This edition features 96 pages and is presented in English, celebrating Durcan’s 80th birthday with a collection that reflects his exploration of both real and imagined worlds. The poems delve into themes related to Ireland, offering insights that have delighted and unsettled readers over his fifty-year career.
Readers will find a diverse array of poetry that is both personal and spiritual, showcasing Durcan’s ability to engage with the complexities of life. The collection includes contributions from editor Niall MacMonagle and an introduction by Colm Toibin, enhancing the context of Durcan’s work. This selection not only highlights the poet’s enduring relevance but also invites reflection on the political and social landscapes that have shaped his writing.
Official synopsis Publisher
A new selection of Paul Durcan’s finest poems, published in celebration of his 80th birthday
“He has written immortal poems. I revere him,” — Michael Longley
For fifty years the poet Paul Durcan has explored and questioned a world both real and imagined.
Steeped in the goings-on of Ireland and preoccupied with its concerns, he has delighted, enriched and unsettled his readers. His prodigious output of more than twenty collections bursts with poems that are courageously personal and passionately spiritual – a body of work that contains multitudes.
‘The great enemy of art is the ego’ says Durcan. ‘It keeps getting in the way. One needs the ego to disappear so that I become you; I become the people walking up and down the street.’
First published in 1967, Durcan remains the most of companionable of poets. His vivacity and ability to surprise has never been clearer than in this new selection of eighty of his finest poems, published in celebration of his 80th birthday.
EDITED BY NIALL MACMONAGLE
WITH AN INTRODUCTION BY COLM TOIBIN
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