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Almost the Equinox
Almost the Equinox
Jul 21, 2025 2:42 AM

Author:Sarah Maguire

Almost the Equinox

* A POETRY BOOK SOCIETY SPECIAL COMMENDATION *

Sarah Maguire’s first collection, Spilt Milk, established her as one of the most original voices in British poetry, and led to her being chosen as one of the New Generation Poets. Three critically acclaimed volumes have since followed – The Invisible Mender, The Florist’s at Midnight and The Pomegranates of Kandahar – to form a lucid, lyrical and rich body of work remarkable for its intelligence and artistry.

This welcome selection of Maguire’s poems spans time and continents – from the ‘bare flanks’ of the Thames at low tide to the night streets of Marrakech – bringing us the sights and sounds of distant lands, as well as taking us to the very heart of human feeling.

Verdant in imagery and imagination, this is poetry of extraordinary precision and power – fully attuned to ‘that precious music, / the pitch of flesh / on flesh’.

Reviews

Almost the Equinox is a bouquet gathered over time. These beautiful poems belong together- in a way that is rarely the case with selected poems

—— Kate Kellaway , Observer

Simple ideas braided with complexity

—— Jeanette Winterson , Guardian

[Maguire] observes the physical world and the definitive failure of human choices with equal clarity… These are love poems to the world.

—— Fiona Sampson , New Statesman

Sharp, witty and beautifully written, it only takes moments to fall head first into the beautiful style of Pillow Man.

—— We Love This Book

A raw account of the male emotional landscape.

—— Liza Hoggard , Independent

Nick Coleman has a wonderful feel for the sights, sounds and stenches of modern London, and an extraordinary talent for making prosaic things poetic.

—— Kate Saunders , Saga Magazine

A tender, thoughtful first novel about love, death - and the appeal of fresh, crisp Egyptian cotton bed sheets.

—— Daily Mail

Nick Coleman makes his fiction debut with an enjoyably offbeat romance set in modern London

—— 4 stars , Metro

It's a beautifully written, thoroughly modern and witty exploration of love, relationships and getting older, with no sign of cheesiness or sentimentality.

—— UK Press Syndication

This is a remarkable novel, that rare kind where you both want to reach the end for answers but also to savour every page. I cannot recommend it enough.

—— Rosamund Urwin , Evening Standard

Written with compelling simplicity.

—— Kerry Fowler , Sainsbury's Magazine

Cleverly constructed, carefully written and deservedly longlisted for this year’s Booker Prize.

—— Harry Ritchie , Daily Mail

Clegg's story is frequently affecting.

—— James Kidd , Independent

At times a harrowing read, the slow and deliberate manner with which connections are revealed and questions answered is genuinely satisfying. By the time Clegg’s narrative strands converge, the glimpse that he grants of a brighter future feels earned.

—— Stephanie Cross , Lady

An emotionally resonant debut.

—— Sunday Times

A moving lament on guilt and grief, not to mention a gripping thriller.

—— Harpers Bazaar

A sad yet hopeful novel built from both suffering and kindness.

—— Erica Wagner , New Statesman

Poignant and haunting debut.

—— Suzi Farry , Sunday Express

Clegg shows an impressive depth and range of voice as he tells a story of friendships, broken families, burgeoning love, and the aftermath of grief.

—— Mail on Sunday

Deeply moving.

—— Psychologies

Clegg is committed to unravelling the complexities of human nature.

—— Janette Currie , Independent on Sunday

Through distinctive and instantly recognisable characters, this novel finds beauty in pain, grief and regret.

—— UK Press Syndication

A true beauty of a novel.

—— Georgina Lane , Belle About Town

Clegg writes with warmth and a deep understanding of grief.

—— Saga Magazine

Wonderful narrative of chance, grief, and the ways we feed on and nourish each other.

—— John Burnside , New Statesman

Fabulous.

—— James Kidd , Independent

Told its heart-breaking tale with tenderness and verve.

—— Alex Preston , Observer

A work full of secrets, shame and scandal.

—— Fiona Wilson , The Times

A story of what can be found when so much has been snatched away.

—— Kerry Fowler , Sainsbury’s Magazine

A meditation on enduring the unendurable… This is a wonderful and deeply moving novel.

—— Clare Clark , Guardian

A beautiful, heart-rending novel of quiet, understated tragedy… Sensitive and insightful, heart-breaking and hopeful… [A] tender, wise and hopeful novel.

—— Hannah Beckerman , Observer
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