R.F. Langley Complete Poems

By R.F. Langley

R.F. Langley is known for his meticulous observation of the natural world and his highly original poetic voice. This volume brings together his two previous Carcanet collections, Collected Poems (2000) and The Face of It (2007), along with his celebrated but uncollected late poems, including ‘To a Nightingale’, which won the 2011 Forward Prize for Best Single Poem. The book includes a biographical introduction and notes by the editor, and a rare note by the poet on his own compositional practice. Langley kept a careful record of the reading and writing that inspired his poems; this edition is fully annotated with these sources, making it an invaluable guide for readers wishing to explore the visionary imagination of this master craftsman.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Carcanet Poetry
• Release date: Sep 1, 2015
• ISBN: 9781784100650

R.F. Langley

R.F. Langley was born in Rugby in 1938. He was educated at Jesus College, Cambridge, and taught English and Art History at secondary schools in the Midlands. He lived in Staffordshire for most of his life, but in 1999 retired to Suffolk, a county that inspired much of his work. His Collected Poems (2000) was shortlisted for the Whitbread Prize for Poetry and ‘To a Nightingale’ (2010), his last published poem, won the Forward Prize for Best Single Poem. He died in 2011.