An Equal Light

By Christopher Jackson

Poetry

OUT NOW!

From the author of Roger Federer: Portrait Of An Artist and Theresa May: Power, Chaos and Chance.

Christopher Jackson’s first full collection is a landmark moment where English poetry regains its spiritual and formal force. As the book begins: ‘Long as I can remember I’ve been pursued/by a suspicion of yellow at my back’ (‘The Lion’). These are poems which acknowledge that the world is in constant flux (‘change shall sweep through on the unjust and the just’ (‘March 2020’)) while also hoping for transcendent joy (‘I also aim to outlive the wind’ ‘Dandelions’). In Jackson’s art it is acknowledged that the darker moments are secondary to those moments which are dominated by what he calls ‘the ingenuity of love’. All these poems are designed to rescue us from despair – it is a book which will change the reader, and make the ground firmer beneath your feet.

Christopher Jackson is a British writer whose books include The Fragile Democracy (2016), Roger Federer (2017), and Theresa May (2018). He has published two other pamphlets of poetry, in addition to having been longlisted for the National Poetry Competition. His journalism has appeared in The Times, The New Statesman, City AM, Country Life and many others. He appears regularly on Sky, Bloomberg, the BBC, and LBC discussing politics. He works full-time at Finito, as both a mentor and as a journalist. He supports the Finito bursary scheme which aims to help refugees and people from disadvantaged backgrounds into work. He is also an ambassador for the MS Society, and a regularly commissioned artist. This is his first full collection.

"Finally, poetry I can really get my teeth stuck into. Wonderful." - Gemma Levine, photographer

"A poet of real humanity," - Sir Anthony Seldon, historian

"It’s the range of his interests that marks Jackson out," - Philip Mould, art critic

"Jackson’s poetry is really excellent. I rather wish he’d sent his Clive James poem to James before he died – he would have loved it." - Douglas Murray, author

"Jackson is a poet who probes the wider meaning of our times," - Gina Miller, campaigner

"This is a collection which asserts possibility in the powerful conclusions its poems reach." - Alison Brackenbury, poet