Memory Tree by Gareth Culshaw Nick Laird Close to the surface of

Close to the surface of mountain and bogland lie the hidden graves of the 'Disappeared'

witness confronts the fact that what was radical in first century Palestine is hardly less so here and now

The Day Laid Bare

laugh-out-loud funny – ‘like having a bad boyfriend in a good band’ – though there is always wisdom beyond the punchline

and of her own strategies for living as one of them

Memory Tree by Gareth Culshaw Nick Laird Close to the surface ofMemory Tree is crammed with imagery, giving glimpses of the lives of dog walkers, cleaners, miner's wives, and builders. Culshaw's people are the locals 'there's rain, there's sky dishes, small back gardens a neighbour who swops him a handshake'. Gareth Culshaw has an alert, original eye, and a tumbling, energising use of metaphor 'There's a light behind each eye, maybe shines, or dims with each drag of his rollie'. This is a collection to savour.