Fairground Attraction: A debut poetry collection

Fairground Attraction is a debut work from poet Sally Anne Nash. The poems are often witty or surreal and the voice engaging. This is poetry full of the stuff of the everyday, such as a motorway service area and instant mashed potato, but that quotidian detail is often woven into a bigger, more ambitious picture. The poet is a great storyteller with a particular flair for vivid imagery. This poetry is original and compelling and there is humorous engagement with contemporary culture. Characters include a zany, talking coffee machine, Henry Hoover and a glass baby. Nash was taught by poet laureate Carol Ann Duffy and it is hard not to notice the influence of Duffy in the droll, wry tone. This is a varied, entertaining collection.