The Past in the Present
West Sussex Poems
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Pub Date Jul 28 2026 | Archive Date Sep 9 2026
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Description
The Past in the Present contains seven poems of varying length and substance, from a 14-line sonnet to a four-page poem. Each poem is about a particular location in the glorious South Downs or the surrounding region.
The locations range from a single building, such as the famous ‘Shepherds’ Church’ at Didling, to an extensive area such as the scenic escarpment along which the South Downs Way runs from west to east.
The poems are written in a clear, accessible style. They reflect John’s love for these locations, combined with knowledge of their history, for example of lime-production at Amberley. They are animated by an awareness of the ways in which the past interacts with the present, so that, in the words of the opening poem, “The boundaries of time and place / Are here dissolved”.
The poems are accompanied by seven pen-and-ink drawings by Philip Hood, one for each of the seven locations.
A Note From the Publisher
Available Editions
| EDITION | Ebook |
| ISBN | 9781806346516 |
| PRICE | £3.99 (GBP) |
| PAGES | 40 |
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Buy on Amazon Buy on BN.com Buy on Bookshop.org Buy on KoboAverage rating from 2 members
Featured Reviews
Mahalia B, Reviewer
Thank you so much NetGalley and the publisher for this advanced reader copy!
Reading peotry is one of my little joys few times a week, I always try to read few poems every week and I'm glad it was from The Past in the Present this week! Since I was in Sussex last month, it felt even more vivid for me because I could almost feel the grass and the breez when reading these poems, and even better, it felt like I was back in time!
Beautiful prose, but still accessible to everyone. Definitely recommend to anyone who wants to slow down a bit and be immersed in nature!
Kendra P, Reviewer
This collection is a beautiful set of poems about West Sussex. They are long-ish and enjoyable poems that transport you to this gorgeous place and it’s like you are standing there in these places with the author.
This is a short book but it takes a while to read. I didn’t mind though because the writing was never too much but it was lush when it needed to be and spare when it didn’t. Also these poems weren’t hard to understand. The technicality of the poems is obvious but not intrusive. It lets you know that you are reading art.