Ten Poems about Sheep; Volume One

Not for the faint-hearted, these poems highlight the harsh realities of the lives of sheep. They contrast starkly with the popular image of sheep as fluffy and sweet – rather, sheep become the starting-point for our own humanity, and the take-off point for some unexpected fantasies too.

“For all that English literature has a centuries-old pastoral tradition, very few poets actually write about sheep, the beasts themselves who live out their short lives so we can fleece them of their flesh and wool. … I do hope that these ten poems about sheep will give readers a greater understanding and sympathy for a poorly understood and too often maligned animal.”

Neil Astley