Anthony Howell's first collection for several years moves in unusual directions. Guilt and society's victimization of those it punishes are among its subjects: it begins with poems concerned with the harm caused by anorexia and moves on to investigate the situation of offenders held in units for 'vulnerable' prisoners.

The collection includes two longer poems: 'Ode to a Routine' chronicles the odyssey of one sentenced to commute across London, while the title poem extends a theme of dubious empathy explored by Browning in 'My Last Duchess'.

As always Anthony Howell's poems are cool, intelligent, entertaining and simply different from anything else being written.

"The best of Ashbery's disciples is without doubt Anthony Howell", said Robert Nye in The Times.

"Howell's poetry is earthy and straightforward and, critically, sounds like Howell: a British poet writing poetry round about now..."
Luke Kennard, Poetry London

"Anthony Howell in The Ogre's Wife has an eye for disaffected modernity... Howell is a discreet but omnipresent worker, twisting forms so as to remain unseen - a camera above a city street, a glance into an un-curtained window to give us the best view."
Ambit

Anthony Howell, born in 1945, lives in London. He has published several collections of poems, the most recent being Selected Poems and Dancers in Daylight, and two novels. From 2002 to 2007 he taught creative writing in prisons.