Nigel Kent

Sent, Nigel Kent's pamphlet of epistolary poems, begins with a work that ironically marks the end of the letter form. Yet as the remainder of the collection makes clear, with the advent of alternative means of messaging, opportunities today for using the written word to communicate to others have proliferated. Pieces such as his text from a jilted lover, his DM to a headliner poet from a disillusioned fan, and his naming card to Lyra redefine the nature of epistolary poems into something vibrant and contemporary, making the reader laugh and cry. Sometimes at the same time "The final poem in this collection begins with a quote from Adrian Mitchell: 'Most people ignore most poetry because most poetry ignores most people.' Nigel Kent's collection of epistolary poems is the opposite of this - it gives voice and a spotlight to the kind of people we all identify with - the secretary who can't tell her boss what she really thinks of his behaviour, the lover with 'grief clinging to her chest', and the 'bedsit boys' for whom a better life seems out of reach. The huge themes of our time are also here: the loss of Truth, the abuse of our planet, refugees whose lives are 'traded for votes'. And running through all of these poems is a deep appreciation of language, its wayward propensity to develop whether we like it or not, a wry and humorous mourning of what has been lost. This is Kent's love letter to the written word, and any reader who shares that love will find much to enjoy here." Karen Macfarlane, poet and author of 'All About the Surface'"Nigel Kent has a gift for depicting the human condition with wit, wisdom and a refreshing honesty. The sheer variety of themes (topical, traditional, and most unusual) draw laughter one minute and claw at the heart with a raw beauty the next. To include an exquisite 'Note to Self' in this epistolary marvel of a collection is inspired. With its linguistic twists, unique takes, and insightful allure, the superlative Sent is a delightful read." Susan Jarvis Bryant, poet and author of 'Elephants Unleashed'"This new collection from Nigel Kent shows the poet at his inventive best. In the form of letters and messages variously written in the voice of our planet, words, refugees and others, the poems are playful and funny on the surface but also carry a strong message applicable to us all. Subtle and not so subtle cautions to humanity in general and to each of us as individuals can be found here in vivid and telling imagery." Barbara Cumbers, poet and author of 'In the Simmer Din'"From the opening poem in which the team being 'down-sized' consists of 'much abused Colon, Semi-Colon, Comma ... all judged surplus to requirements' to the heartbreaking 'Parting' and the delicious ambiguity of 'Secrets', Nigel Kent teases us with memories, photo albums, and poems that often finish with unexpected twists. This is a thoughtfully curated collection that shows his creative talents to perfection." Polly Stretton, poet and author of 'Growing Places'

Fall, Nigel Kent's latest pamphlet, eavesdrops on an affair that has devastating consequences for a marriage of ten years. This narrative sequence of poems forensically dissects the complex nature of love. There are moments of thrill and exhilaration, of course, but there are also moments of recklessness, delusion, guilt, shame, loss, despair, madness and more, all captured in authentic, profoundly human poems. Read and be moved." This is Nigel Kent at his best - taking a story and weaving it through delicious images. Within minutes I found myself completely immersed in this love affair and its consequences. As always, Kent's probing words take you to the heart of the relationship. Written in two parts, with the stage director interspersed between poems, the collection is breathtaking. The voices of the three characters are strong and each story conveys a deep-seated sadness. Highly recommended." Kate Young, poet"'The waste of a marriage dropped into bin bags by the back door' or a 'vast, inviting emptiness into which I stepped with arms stretched out like wings'. Nigel Kent's dramatization of the break-up of a marriage gives a voice to each of his protagonists while an omniscient narrator records the relentless flow of time, of a clock 'whose hands spin backwards to that moment which cannot be undone'. It is this 'moment' and its resulting guilt and depression which Kent depicts in searing detail. The poem has such a powerful emotional pull that I found myself with tears in my eyes when reading the final line. Nigel Kent's innovative and memorable account of an old, old story, will make you want to read it again, straight away." Ellie Rees, poet"This is no ordinary presentation of an extra-marital affair, but one seen through the eyes of all three parties involved. Nigel Kent explores in depth a whole plethora of emotions: collusion, euphoria, post-coital guilt, deception, regret and heartbreak, all painted with consummate skill and sensitivity. This is a masterful portrayal of deceit with its gut-wrenching exploration of the (often unseen) consequences of a seemingly harmless dalliance. I thoroughly recommend it. It is a must-have for every poetry lover's bookshelf, one to which you will return time and again." Margaret Royall, poet/author"Fall is an unusual and exciting collection. Nigel Kent enters the heads of three characters involved in the breakdown of a marriage with sympathy and understanding. He also uses short single stanza poems to set the scene and carry the narrative forward. This is a collection that is difficult to put down. His skill with rhythm, images and line endings ensures that it is pure poetry. "The clock hands sweep up time," is just one of many beautiful images which will stay with his readers long after they have finished the book." Jenny Hamlett, poet

Benchwarmers, Nigel Kent's latest pamphlet, gives a voice to those who live their lives at the margins, such as the autistic boy, the looked-after child, the young offender, the anorexic, the painfully shy. They are life's outsiders, whom circumstances have conspired against: they are the also-rans, the subs confined to the bench, waiting for the call that never comes. These poignant, compassionate poems make visible the invisible and invite the reader to make a connection.***"Nigel Kent's poems in this collection, skillfully sketch out the lives of the dispossessed; those who '...lost life's toss the moment they were born.' His poetry vividly captures the feelings of loss and exclusion experienced by the disenfranchised child, and offers us a sobering insight into how our society fails many young people for so many reasons. In his prose poem, Cut, Nigel Kent sets the sharpest rebuke: portraying the brutalizing effects of ostracism in the psyche of young minds, 'I leave my mark carve my initials in entitlement's bark with the blade they made.'A chilling yet haunting pamphlet of poems." Josephine Lay, author of 'A Quietus'"It's a recognisable feature of Nigel Kent's earlier collections that many of his poems notice and care about people on the margins of society, and this is also central to Benchwarmers. Through these poems Kent allows us a glimpse not only of the constraints, misunderstandings and sometimes cruelty his subjects face but also, in some cases, of how through their own empowered actions, and/or the love and attention some receive, they can - as two of the poems suggests - either 'speed away' or find their 'own way home'." Phil Vernon, Author of Poetry after Auschwitz I and Watching the Moon Landing "Nigel Kent takes the reader on a powerful and poignant journey with each turn of the page. Benchwarmers is a superb poetry collection. Highly recommended." Patricia M Osborne, Poet/Novelist "Powerful and unflinching. Compulsively readable. Defines class divides with sensitivity and dynamism." Paul Brookes, poet, editor of The Wombwell Rainbow

Nigel Kent's collection of ekphrastic poems,"Unmuted", is inspired by a gallery of famous works by artists from the present and the past. Each artwork acts as a frame in a storyboard which he unfreezes and unmutes to reveal the narrative he imagines lies behind it. Even for those who have no interest in art these direct, accessible and moving poems will stand alone and promise to engage with issues that truly matter. With a gifted painter's deft touch coupled with an awareness that every brush stroke matters, Nigel Kent's ekphrastic poems are a masterclass in the use of telling detail. Each poem stands alone without need of the artwork that inspired it, and reading the pamphlet is as enriching as visiting a gallery, a feast for all the senses. Whether telling stories, exploring philosophical ideas, or interrogating the nature of art itself these poems, by a poet of great range and skill, are captivating, immersive and transportive. Anna Saunders, author of 'Feverfew'. With this collection Kent puts himself in the frame with the masters that he has written to, giving each a new voice. Never mind unmuted, these poems shout at you with their vision, form and craft; and just as you would give a masterpiece pride of place on your wall, you will give this collection a prime position upon your bookshelf. Darren J Beaney, author of 'The Machinery of Life''If the hands of the past were to reach out and shine a light on our modern lives, this collection of poems is what they would have to say. Nigel Kent has gathered together the muse of antiquity, the craft of classical poets and the inspiration of visual artists, both old and new, and forged something truly breath-taking.' Steve Cawte, Editor of 'Impspired' 'These poems contrast as wildly as the artefacts themselves, every one containing a sensitively observed exploration of the human condition with a narrative that is often dark but never loses its compassion or empathy. Nigel Kent breathes new life into each artwork without stealing the mystery of its original intention - whatever that may be.'Stephen Belinfante, artist

''Saudade' captures the zeitgeist of an age seduced by social media with its images of idealised lives. Many of the characters in Nigel Kent's first collection experience a deep sense of dissatisfaction and an irreconcilable longing for someone or something that they have either lost or never had. Sometimes this is because of unrealistic expectations, sometimes because of factors outside their control and sometimes because they have simply made wrong choices or decisions. He movingly conveys their yearning in poems that will 'linger, linger, linger'. Nigel Kent's intimate poems provide a quiet mouthpiece for the disenchanted examining what it is to be human with all its frailties. They urge us to linger on the ineluctable question of what it is that makes life complete. Maggie Sawkins, author of 'Zones of Avoidance' and Winner of Ted Hughes Award for New Work in Poetry, 2013.

In the summer of 2018 the story broke of the mistreatment of members of the Windrush generation. As a consequence of the government's attempts to reduce immigration, British subjects had been wrongly deported and detained, lost their jobs and homes, and were denied benefits and medical treatment. This story precipitated a poetry conversation.