TEN POEMS ABOUT CHILDHOOD (CANDLESTICK PRESS)

Childhood is one of poetry’s favourite subjects. Countless poems try to capture the light and shade of being very young – moments that lodge vividly in our adult memories. Venturing off the beaten track, Mimi Khalvati’s selection reflects her fascination with how we learn to talk and read; there are poems about a first encounter with books and about children from different cultures swapping words. Poems by Kayo Chingonyi, Jane Duran, Louise Gluck, Seamus Heaney, Elizabeth Jennings, Mimi Khalvati, Hannah Lowe, James Merrill, Tracy K Smith and James Womack.