After the completion of 'Dear Life', his highly praised ninth collection of poems, Dennis O'Driscoll kept his finished poems in a computer file called 'Newest Poems', subtitled 'Since completion of 'Dear Life" and 'April 2011 - '. This book reproduces its complete contents. The title we have given it, from an outstanding poem, signifies one important aspect of the collection: that it forms a substantial update to the body of his published work.
Despite the collection's provisional and unfinished nature (since the poet surely hoped to add to it and prepare it for publication), the 33 poems are ones which his many readers will want to have. Darker even than much of 'Dear Life', they are full of his inimitable humour, his searching eye, his characteristic wit and wisdom.
