{"title":"Declan Ryan","description":"\u003cp\u003eDive into the poignant poetry of Declan Ryan, where everyday moments are transformed into profound reflections on life, loss, and connection. Perfect for fans of Seamus Heaney and contemporary verse.\u003c\/p\u003e","products":[{"product_id":"crisis-actor-book-declan-ryan-9780571371273","title":"Crisis Actor","description":"SHORTLISTED FOR THE SEAMUS HEANEY FIRST COLLECTION POETRY PRIZE SHORTLISTED FOR THE JOHN POLLARD FOUNDATION INTERNATIONAL POETRY PRIZE SHORTLISTED FOR THE MICHAEL MURPHY PRIZE  'Who knew that writing with this degree of care and pain and tact was still possible? For my money it's the best first volume in decades, I would say since Tom Paulin's A State of Justice (1977): no dead weight, foot-perfect and engaging.' Michael Hofmann, Times Literary Supplement, Books of the Year  Crisis Actor chronicles various failures and farewells. It is peopled by faded heroes and deferential devotees; a hanged donkey, a bloated rat; solitary bachelors and disillusioned youths - these are the watchers, not the players. The poems are awash with rueful self-accusation and laconic scepticism. There are touching elegies, reportage and bruised, wary replayings. A blistering sequence about boxers and their fates weaves through the collection. The overwhelming sense is of life going on elsewhere, the halcyon days and brightest of years long past. This is the aftermath of being one who - in Matthew Arnold's words - 'has reached his utmost limits and finds . . . himself far less than he had imagined himself'.  But there are still flashes of camaraderie, of stars aligning: lunchtimes in sunlit garden squares, languorous pub afternoons, cheering on and hard-won triumphs. These precious, precarious moments point to how we might reclaim potential, discover human connection in times of defeat or despair, and reach towards grace and redemption.  'Elegant and heartaching, these poems illuminate the sorrows of life with a bright flame, returning us to that miraculous human capacity for love and faith even in our darkest days.' Liz Berry  'Declan Ryan reveals himself a master of both the telling detail and of narrative suspense. Each exquisitely orchestrated vignette delivers a punch worthy of the heroes of the ring here commemorated.' Mark Ford","brand":"WoB","offers":[{"title":"GB \/ NEW \/ GARDNERS","offer_id":49750310387985,"sku":"NGR9780571371273","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"GB \/ VERY_GOOD \/ INTERNAL","offer_id":50170558611729,"sku":"GOR013879612","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"GB \/ LIKE_NEW \/ INTERNAL","offer_id":50964360069393,"sku":"GOR014150339","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"GB \/ NEW \/ INGRAM","offer_id":52592621027601,"sku":"NLS9780571371273","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0784\/4072\/6801\/files\/0571371272.jpg?v=1771505181"},{"product_id":"crisis-actor-book-declan-ryan-9780374611897","title":"Crisis Actor","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eThe brilliant and bracing debut collection of poetry from Declan Ryan: a writer, critic, and fierce new literary voice.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Declan Ryan's \u003ci\u003eCrisis Actor\u003c\/i\u003e chronicles various kinds of failures and farewells. It is peopled by faded heroes and deferential devotees, a hanged donkey and a bloated rat, solitary bachelors and disillusioned youths--these are the watchers, not the players. The poems are awash in rueful self-accusation and laconic skepticism. There are touching elegies, reportage, and bruised, wary replayings. A blistering sequence about boxers and their fates weaves through the collection. The overwhelming sense is of life going on elsewhere, the halcyon days and brightness of years long past. This is the aftermath of being one who--in Matthew Arnold's words--\"has reached his utmost limits and finds . . . himself far less than he had imagined himself.\"\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e But there are still flashes of camaraderie, of stars aligning: lunchtimes in sunlit garden squares, languorous afternoons in pubs cheering for hard-won triumphs. These precious, precarious moments point to how we might reclaim potential, discover human connection in times of defeat or despair, and reach toward grace and redemption.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"WoB","offers":[{"title":"US \/ VERY_GOOD \/ SBYB","offer_id":49994608181521,"sku":"CIN0374611890VG","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"US \/ GOOD \/ SBYB","offer_id":50134910435601,"sku":"CIN0374611890G","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"US \/ NEW \/ INGRAM","offer_id":51484294643985,"sku":"NIN9780374611897","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0784\/4072\/6801\/files\/0374611890.jpg?v=1750780948"},{"product_id":"faber-new-poets-12-book-declan-ryan-9780571321230","title":"Faber New Poets 12","description":"Funded  by Arts Council England, Faber New Poets aims to identify and support  emerging talents at an early stage in their careers. Through a programme  of mentorship, bursary and pamphlet publication, the scheme offers four  poets a year the time, guidance and encouragement they require to help  in the development of their work in the longer term.  Declan Ryan was born in Mayo, Ireland in 1983 and lives in north London. He has an MA in Creative Writing from  Royal Holloway where he is currently teaching and working on a PhD on  'perfect speech' in the poems of Ian Hamilton. He co-edits the Days of Roses anthology series and is a poetry editor at Ambit.","brand":"WoB","offers":[{"title":"GB \/ VERY_GOOD \/ INTERNAL","offer_id":50024535097617,"sku":"GOR006879519","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"GB \/ GOOD \/ INTERNAL","offer_id":53431111745809,"sku":"GOR008858162","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0784\/4072\/6801\/files\/0571321232.jpg?v=1751360029"},{"product_id":"crisis-actor-book-declan-ryan-9780374615994","title":"Crisis Actor","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eThe brilliant and bracing debut collection of poetry from Declan Ryan: a writer, critic, and fierce new literary voice.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Declan Ryan's \u003ci\u003eCrisis Actor\u003c\/i\u003e chronicles various kinds of failures and farewells. It is peopled by faded heroes and deferential devotees, a hanged donkey and a bloated rat, solitary bachelors and disillusioned youths--these are the watchers, not the players. The poems are awash in rueful self-accusation and laconic skepticism. There are touching elegies, reportage, and bruised, wary replayings. A blistering sequence about boxers and their fates weaves through the collection. The overwhelming sense is of life going on elsewhere, the halcyon days and brightness of years long past. This is the aftermath of being one who--in Matthew Arnold's words--\"has reached his utmost limits and finds . . . himself far less than he had imagined himself.\"\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e But there are still flashes of camaraderie, of stars aligning: lunchtimes in sunlit garden squares, languorous afternoons in pubs cheering for hard-won triumphs. These precious, precarious moments point to how we might reclaim potential, discover human connection in times of defeat or despair, and reach toward grace and redemption.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"WoB","offers":[{"title":"- \/ - \/ -","offer_id":51650829254929,"sku":"","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"US \/ NEW \/ INGRAM","offer_id":51650829418769,"sku":"NIN9780374615994","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0784\/4072\/6801\/files\/0374615993.jpg?v=1750942155"}],"url":"https:\/\/www.worldofbooks.com\/en-au\/collections\/author-books-by-declan-ryan.oembed","provider":"World of Books ","version":"1.0","type":"link"}