John Fuller, born in Ashford, Kent, is an acclaimed poet and novelist. His collection Stones and Fires (1996) was awarded the Forward Prize; Ghosts (2004) was shortlisted for the Whitbread Award for Poetry; The Space of Joy (2006) was shortlisted for the Costa Poetry Award, and The Grey Among the Green (1988), Song & Dance (2008) and Pebble & I (2010) were all Poetry Book Society Recommendations. His 1983 novel Flying to Nowhere won the Whitbread First Novel Award and was shortlisted for the Booker Prize. He has also written collections of short stories and several books for children. He is an Emeritus Fellow of Magdalen College, Oxford.
Intriguing and witty * The Lady * A witty, erudite and illuminating book, which encourages one to enjoy the puzzles and pleasures of poetry without fear -- Brandon Robshaw * Independent on Sunday * It leaps from peak to peak, fuelled by an immense amount of learning and experience -- Nicholas Lezard * Guardian * John Fuller is both a well-published poet and a well-tested critic of contemporary poetry. This new book gets to grips with the essential puzzlement of poetry...It is not a densely theoretical book, but written engagingly and approachably * Independent * Fuller's book should encourage many to go off and puzzle out poems for themselves -- Fiona Sampson * Sunday Times *