Say Something Back

It sometimes seems that contemporary poetry divides into two sorts - those poems that did not need to be written and those written out of necessity. Denise Riley belongs to the second category - her writing is perfectly weighted, justifies its existence. It is impossible not to want to "say something back" to each of her poems in recognition of their outstanding quality. Her voice is strong and beautiful - an imperative in itself . . . remarkableGuardian

The best thing I've read in agesMax Porter, author of Grief Is the Thing with Feathers

Denise Riley’s Say Something Back shows how grief keeps a different clock and is a churning yet exhilarating (because the poems are so good) exploration of loss. Her poetry gets to the heartJackie Kay, Guardian

I have been a fan of Denise Riley’s for decades, and Say Something Back shows her working at her peak in a collection that is as rewarding as it is challengingJohn Burnside, Herald