Description

A Telegraph Poetry Book of the Year
A Poetry Book Society Choice

‘”Accessible complexity” is not an oxymoron in Duhig’s work . . . This [is] Duhig’s most moving book, full of memorable poetry not just of skill but of heart’ – Graeme Richardson, Sunday Times

An Arbitrary Light Bulb is Ian Duhig’s most personal collection of poems to date. It takes its title from the most common type of household bulb – yet one whose name is virtually unknown, like many people these poems celebrate.

Duhig finds in the arbitrary an image for the randomness of inspiration and of life, haunted here by deaths of family and friends. He laments the lost but also responds to the glories of our existence, especially among the overlooked, with humour, technical variety and contagious pleasure.

Starting out from ‘contrary Leeds’, his home for half a century, Duhig’s poems roam widely through history, art-forms, loves and injustices, fired by the desire to share it all with his readers: knowledge, joy, anger and wonder.

‘Multifarious and maverick, deeply personal and political, Duhig’s poetic vision alchemises the heart and mind. This is a brilliant collection from a balladeer of our times, a poet who stands for the people, always with a sense of compassion, humility and wry humour’ Jennifer Lee Tsai, Guardian

*An Arbitrary Light Bulb was featured in the Telegraph article ‘Best poetry books of 2024 so far’, dated 09-12-2024

Publisher Review

The most original poet of his generation — Carol Ann Duffy * Guardian * Duhig telescopes topical allusions, scholarly references and coarse humour into tightly-shaped, surreal poems which burst open with explosive moral force — Alan Brownjohn, The Sunday Times His poetry is learned, rude, elegant, sly and funny, mixing gilded images, belly-laughs and esoteric lore about language (including Irish), art, history, politics and children’s word-games — Ruth Padel, The Independent on Sunday . . .one of Duhig’s charms is that, for all his learning, he retains humility — Kathryn Gray, Magma Review Ian is a one-off legend, a true original — Jackie Kay, Herald