The Guest Room, Diana Hendry’s second collection of poems from Worple Press, continues her always perceptive explorations of family, childhood and finding oneself, encounters with people (whether neighbours or strangers) and animals (pets or otherwise). Added to this is her embracing of Seamus Heaney’s notion of poetry paying attention to the world, here including climate change, coronavirus, political prisoners, Palestine and the health service, for example – never preachy, telling it slant. There’s pleasure to be found throughout, in her craft and characteristic wry humour and in what U.A. Fanthorpe called her ‘remarkable eye for the truth and an ability to see the otherness in the ordinary.’
Comments on Diana’s previous Worple collection, The Watching Stair:
‘a collection of poignant, often wryly humorous and always beautifully crafted poems…’ – Vicki Feaver
‘accessible, highly intelligent, wide-ranging poems that have a wonderful psychological truthfulness’ – D. M. Black
Reviews
“works vividly at every level […] The seduction, and the threat, of the outside world – in essence, the wilderness – runs like a stream through The Guest Room. In contrast to the many domestic settings of home, childhood, adult life, it insists on its own powers, harnessed by Hendry but still delightfully out of control. […] a book both rich in meaning and resistant to easy readings” – James Roderick Burns. Read the full review at London Grip
“Hers is a humour both sharp and affectionate. […] These poems easily pass their RAT (Read Aloud Test). You don’t falter or lose track. I’ve not read a book like this for some time, one I could give to non-poet friends knowing they would recognise much in the down-to-earth and everyday life written here and relish the nimble wit and good cheer of the writing.” – Jane Routh. Read the full review at The Friday Poem