These Were Your Father's, John Hegley's fourth volume of poems, continues to explore the author's preoccupation with gods, dogs, dads and spectacles; the major addition to the list is life around the campfire, which is tackled in a longer drama concerning John, his friend Tony, his dog Hermann and their bicycles. Elsewhere, buses, trains, rains, Romans and rice grains are featured in the poems which are usually comic and, where possible, poignant also. There is a persistent autobiographical strand, as well as a sprinkling of the author's line drawings and some surprises which it is best not to spoil by telling you about in this bit.
Comedy's poet laureate
Independent
Scandalously talented
Sunday Times
One of the funniest men alive … he's in the tradition of Edward Lear, Stevie Smith, Ivor Cutler and Roger McGough
New Statesman
An artistic phenomenon
The Times