Böcker av William Peskett

This is a selection of the best of William Peskett's poetry, most chosen from his two collections of poems with the addition of a number of newer works.Most of the poems date from the 1960s and 1970s, when Peskett was part of a vigorous poetic movement that emerged from politically troubled Northern Ireland.Although few of the poets working in the Province at that time took politics as a major theme, Peskett's work in particular maintains a distance from the Troubles, dealing more commonly with the natural world and our interactions with it, especially through science.Other trained scientists have written poems, but few have gone so far as Peskett in examining the possibilities (and dangers) of scientific method or, as it were, turned the microscope the other way round to bring a scientific eye to bear on human relationships and emotions.Others have described Peskett as 'neat and audacious, light and witty', combining 'a penetrating intellect with a sensitive and sensuous insight'. As if to underline the uniqueness of his voice, one reviewer remarked, 'Peskett is not afraid, as so many poets these days seem to be, to be caught alone with an idea.'Selected Poems presents young readers with a chance to acquaint themselves with the best of Peskett's work. For those already familiar with them, the new ordering of the poems, prepared by the poet himself, often extracts new meaning from well-known lines.

A photographer hired to witness a murder, a colour-blind sperm donor, a ghost who misses his friends, a Canadian who pretends he's from Latvia, and a woman sure her children's will be the last human generation-these are just some of the fascinating characters with leading roles in this poignant collection of short stories.Often amusing, sometimes comical and occasionally sad, these tales are always touching. William Peskett writes with a light touch and brings a sensitive and sympathetic eye to bear on a wide variety of characters and an unusual mixture of relationships.Most of the stories in the collection are set in Thailand or have a Thai connection and have much to reveal about how life is lived by locals and by foreigners resident in this fascinating part of the world.If you enjoy this book, be sure also to try the companion collection, Mist on the Jungle and Other Stories.

In this collection of 36 new sonnets, William Peskett contrasts the 'innocence' of pre-industrial man, living in balance with nature, with the 'experience' of our modern condition. Now, the author makes clear, we have over-populated our little Earth, pushing other species to the margins or to extinction, misusing resources and polluting the planet with our waste. Without a radical change in direction, the future looks bleak for mankind.The inspiration comes from 'Songs of Innocence and Experience' by poet and illustrator William Blake (1757-1827). Though Blake's concept of 'the Fall of Man' was more spiritual than practical, in keeping with the perspective of his age, the contrast is not as stark as you might expect. Despite his visionary insights, Blake had no conception of how far we would fall 200 years after his death, taking mankind to the brink not only of spiritual, but existential, disaster.

What could be more unusual, and more alluring, than a collection of 38 sonnets about modern life in Thailand? The sonnet was devised in 13th-century Italy and revitalised in 16th-century England. In 21st-century Thailand it has finally come of age.Most people think of the sonnet as a rather dry form of verse, but in fact the rhythm and rhyme it requires make it proceed at a rollicking pace and the discipline of getting the story across in only 14 lines makes for economy of expression.If you want to know about making merit, ladyboys, elephants, bar ladies, Songkhran, the jungle and all the other things that go with living in one of the most fascinating countries in Asia, then have a go at this book.If you thought verse was a dry form of story-telling, think again. Some of these sonnets aim to make you laugh, while all of them will be sure to make you think.

Return to the Go-Go is the second volume of insights by Pattaya veteran Khun Pobaan into everyday life in Thailand's extreme city. The first collection, If You Can't Stand the Fun, Stay Out Of The Go-Go, gathered together essays that had been previously published in a local newspaper. As is the way of things, the essays went online and the current crop of 45 pieces have been collected from the monthly blog It Occurs to Me.Subjects tackled by the fearless author include hairless women, toothbrushes, the Thai language, censorship, vasectomies, town planning, squid fishing, road safety, military dictatorships and of course Pattaya's cultural gift to the world, the go-go bar. Each topic is ruthlessly examined for its humorous content and exploited as a source of wisdom and insight into the human condition. Readers who have no connection with Funtown may call the essays collected in this book no more than the blatherings of a demented lay-about, but those who have reason to visit Pattaya for their holidays or the sense to make it their permanent home know differently.For those with a genuine interest in all things Pattayan, Return to the Go-Go is the only guide they need. Khun Pobaan's precise and sometimes painful observations of life are the only true public record of the unique form of civilisation to be found on the Thai eastern seaboard. Each essay is cleverly planned to take as long to read as it takes the average reader to drink a bottle of cold Leo beer. Please behave responsibly by not attempting to finish the whole book at one sitting.

The Middle Kid is the story of Alex, an ordinary schoolgirl, and her struggle to be noticeable. With an older brother who is set for Olympic glory in the swimming pool and a younger brother who has emerged as a Latin genius, Alex is the middle child and apt to be ignored. Often, she feels she is the only one in her family who feels a responsibility to hold it together. Feeling unappreciated, she knows she needs a plan. With busy parents and brothers with their own interests she first finds comfort in sleeping dreams. When these fail to deliver, she turns to a daytime dream of her own destiny for which encouragement comes from an unexpected source. Aimed at a young adult audience and told in Alex's own voice, The Middle Kid is humorous and poignant. Alex's witty observations on her family, friends and the world at large will appeal to readers of all ages.

Dramatic and thrilling or hilarious and compassionate, 'The Edge of the Volcano' offers candid accounts of life, even where it hurts, and truthful reports, even if politically incorrect. Some of the journeys are factual in their last vivid details, some are possible, others are invented. Never mind: they all have the same passion for life, reflected through adventures, misadventures, landscapes and emotions.

Go-go bars as a cultural asset, dentists, chicken's feet, soapy massage, trousers, being struck by lightning, tattoos, luck, breast enhancements, beards and being a foreigner - these are just some of the aspects of living in Pattaya, Thailand's most exciting city, that come within range of Kuhn Pobaan's seeing eye in this lively and revealing book.Originally published as The View from the Hill in the leading fortnightly Pattaya Today, each chapter takes a light-hearted but incisive look at the quirky side of living in a city that is unusual even by Thai standards. Firmly in the foreground of this idyllic setting is Mrs Pobaan, the author's long-suffering wife whose innocence provides the perfect balance for her husband's merciless wit.For those who want to know what it's really like living in paradise, or for those fellow residents who want to compare notes with another foreigner filled with wonderment, joy and occasional confusion, If you can't stand the fun, stay out of the go-go is the perfect Pattaya primer.

This b*ndle contains two complete books of humorous essays about life in Pattaya, Thailand's extreme city. The books, which you can buy separately if you prefer, are the popular If You Can't Stand The Fun, Stay Out Of The Go-Go and its follow-up volume Return To The Go-Go.

Survivors is William Peskett's second book in the Secker & Warburg Poets series. At one level, it marks his move 'From Belfast to Suffolk' (the title of one of the poems), but more importantly it shows him coming to terms with the world of nature and the world of man with a new maturity.

William Peskett's work appeared in periodicals and on the radio, and it attracted special attention when a group of poems appeared in Faber's Poetry Introduction 2. The Night Owl's Dissection is his first full-length collection of poetry.