Catherine Clarke A History of England in 25 Poems400pp. Allen Lane. £25. Mark Forsyth Rhyme and ReasonA short history of poetry and people (forpeople who don’t usually read poetry)368pp. Allen & Unwin

You wouldn’t guess from the cover design—three songbirds silhouetted over swatches of picturesque Englishness—but Catherine Clarke’s A History of England in 25 Poems hits one of its sweet spots with a

I AM someone who loves space. This is perhaps because of early childhood days on the beautiful Solway Coast. My father’s family farm was right on the beach. It enjoyed uninterrupted views across to th

PAUL CLIFTON picks ten of the best (and worst), declaring: “There are numerous poetry anthologies on the subject of travel. I have an entire shelf of them. Choosing just ten about railways is highly subjective. Here is my flawed selection: some familiar to everyone and one you might rather forget…”

A letter, a book and two paintings by Tracey Emin; right, Ruth Fairlight’s copy of The Colossus Ruth Fainlight and Alan Sillitoe were both in their twenties when they met in a bookshop in Nottingham.

In my current project, I don’t quite know what I’m doing, though I’m hoping to strike lucky. As with metal detectorists and those who browse the shelves of charity shops for Ming vases, my hope is alw