100 Poems To See You Through

Mar 11, 2026 11:19 AM

Author:Daisy Goodwin

When times are tough - whether because of illness, bereavement or receiving bad news - it can be hard to find the right words. Help comes in the form of this beautifully packaged gift book, comprising 100 life-affirming poems handpicked by an expert on poetry. Grouping the poems by theme - from 'Hearing Bad News' to 'How To Carry On' - this gem of a book features contributions from classical poets such as John Keats, Emily Brontë, W.H. Auden and Christina Rossetti alongside lines from more contemporary poets such as Philip Larkin, Elizabeth Jennings, Raymond Carver, Carol Ann Duffy and Wendy Cope. It adds up to a wonderful pick-me-up - a self-administered drug guaranteed to make a dark day brighter and act as a great lyrical crutch.

Reviews

Portable and beautifully produced, this book is essential first aid for the soul

—— The Lady

There is wisdom, acceptance, sharp observation, compassion and humour here

—— Independent on Sunday

Middleton is a born writer; unpretentious, discerning, intelligent... He is the Chekhov of suburbia.

—— James Runcie , Daily Telegraph

Middleton is concerned with what goes on below the surface of lives, what people feel, dream about, hope for, resent, fear - all the things that in real life may be kept hidden... Anyone coming to Middleton afresh has a real treat in store.

—— Allan Massie , Scotsman

Genuinely affecting

—— The Times

Topical and irreverent… In some hands, this might seem contrived, but Doyle’s impressive comic skills keep the laughter coming.

—— Observer

It is very funny, with an Alan Bennett sort of humour, beautifully written, quirky and likely to cause much tuttutting in conservative quarters

—— Daily Mail

This lesbian coming of age story set in northern England doesn't seem to have aged a bit

—— Independent

An instant classic

—— Rosemary Goring , Herald

You'll find everything you need to know about mustering the courage to embrace your true self and live life without fear in Winterson's hugely engaging semi-autobiographical novel

—— Mariella Frostrup , Sunday Times

A stunning novel that's steeped in black history

—— Marc Chacksfield , ShortList

A mind-blowing political statement, an anguished cry of despair . . . a bomshell

—— The Weekly Review

The definitive African book of the twentieth century.

—— Moses Isegawa, author of Abyssinian Chronicles and Snakepit

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