The Last Weather Observer by Matthew Rice

“… this is gorgeous, subtle and heartfelt work. Matthew Rice can take a single memory, carve it out of the infinitely re-configurable past, then light and shoot it so that it resembles heaven or hell. The pause at the red light, the school canteen, those we lose, those we keep, then lose; the connections which might arise from a song or a video game. Transporting stuff…” – Luke Kennard

“These poems are attuned to threat, loss, disappointment, resolve. A tense narrative blurs with acceleration into a soft dazzle of lyricism; or the well-borne weight of form and tradition lifts to reveal a friend having a kind and urgent word. You leave the room and things have changed.” – Adam Crothers

“Marked by a distinctive combination of savagery and ennui, Matthew Rice’s poems are surreal snapshots. They conjure an atmosphere of cinema noir. Rice reaches back to the absurd cruelties of history, concluding ‘there is no why here’, as Primo Levi is forbidden to enjoy even the chance refreshment of an icicle. These poems are located in moments of tradition. However, Rice maintains an eloquent refusal to glamorise. This is an exciting and long-awaited debut” – Katie Donovan