Description
A stunning debut collection from a poet who is building a strong reputation for versatility and has garnered a following on both sides of the Atlantic. Told from a neurodivergent perspective, themes include mental health, social media, suicide, love, grief and the impact of environmental destruction. The poems are intellectually stimulating but accessible and will appeal to a wide range of readers.
The author, who has enjoyed competition success in Japan, the USA, Poland, and Canada, including the prestigious ‘Mainichi International Haiku Competition’, demonstrates in Goldfish, that he is a master of much longer forms of poetry.
Reviews
“Punctuated with haiku that distill the essence of Aylett’s literary vision, the poems in Goldfish counter the confusing demands and false promises of contemporary culture with a poetic voice that cuts simply and directly to their core. This is how poetry lives in the body of ordinary spoken English—as a pulse that quickens with passion or exertion, then falls into a steady rhythm in moments of reflection . . . only to come to a abrupt, full two-second stop. A skipped beat. The death-blow of a perfectly articulated turn of thought.”
— Clark Strand, author of Seeds From a Birch Tree: Writing Haiku and the Spiritual Journey and Waking Up to the Dark: The Black Madonna’s Gospel for an Age of Extinction and Collapse.
“Jonathan surprises. A poet whose work is at once urgent and poignant. Unsentimentally he speaks to your heart. From haiku to slam pieces, each word rings true. I always look forward to experiencing Jonathan’s work, both on the page and when performed at live events. Each time his words arrive, I feel more alive. What more could you ask of a writer?”
— Ali Harwood, Liverpool City Region Artist of the Year 2023, Host of Liver Bards spoken word event, Wirral Poetry Festival planning team, Coordinator of Liverpool Literacy Cycle
