Ian Hamilton Finlay

"Almost wherever Finlay leads us, in verse, prose, or garden, there is a pervasive wit and invention of great brilliance in evidence... Finlay's son Alec has edited together and introduced a hugely enjoyable anthology of Finlay's writings, in prose, and truly beautiful-especially when surreal-verse. We should all be grateful to him." -- Andrew McNeillie Country Life "A hugely enjoyable anthology of Finlay's writings, in prose, and truly beautiful-especially when surreal-verse." -- Andrew McNeillie Country Life "[Finlay's] temples are mock-historic edifices, but who are we to say that they are not sacred sites?" Booktryst "This welcome new volume ... is full of revelations that cast new light on the subject." -- Gerald Mangan Times Literary Supplement (TLS) "This welcome new volume, Selections, ranging from Finlay's first stories and plays to his final inscriptions and aphorisms, reminds us that most of his career consisted of unilateral declarations of independence, in a territory staked out by his own definitions and designs. It is full of revelations that cast new light on the subject-notably in the sixty-page introduction by Alec Finlay, the author's son. His portrait of his father ... manages to sound objective as well as affectionate. He clarifies the poet's debts to international and avant-garde movements, but invites us to recognize the irreducible Scottishness of his character and inspiration." -- Gerald Mangan Times Literary Supplement (TLS) "Scottish poet Ian Hmilton is one of the most influential artists of the late twentieth century... [Ian Hamilton Finlay: Selections] is an essential purchase for anyone interested in the poetry of the second half of the twentieth century... it's a delight." -- Alison Croggon Oyster Boy Review