Description: Don't Go, the second collection of poetry by John Eliot, explores themes of memory, love, loss and death. The poet draws on influences as varied as his own background as a teacher of religion, the discovery of Richard III's bones in England, and the loss of parents and friends. John Eliot reads regularly at literary festivals and on radio.
Brief description: Poet and novelist John Eliot was born in Leicester, England, the son of the local GP, Thomas Eliot. His early interests in writing and music came together when, as editor of his university student newspaper, he interviewed reggae legend Bob Marley. He also had articles published in the fan magazines of Bob Dylan and Leonard Cohen. John taught in the south-west of England before moving to France with his wife. He now writes full-time. His poems can be found in anthologies. His first collection of poetry, 'Ssh!', was published in 2014, as was his novel 'The Good Doctor'. He is the founder of the literary festival in St Clementin
Review Quotes: Tightly written and beautifully observed, the poems in John Eliot's elegiac new chapbook speak quietly of loss, memory and the deaths of those real and imagined. Poems that seep deep into the mind and linger long after their first reading. -- Chrys Salt MBE, poet, author, theatre director. In a field filled with similarity, John Eliot is authentic. His nicely crafted lines, surgical at times, make not only for smooth reading but hit exactly where intended. He is a true expressionist. -- D Othniel Forte, editor, KWEE magazine. John Eliot's poetry has a lyrical freshness, as a breezy summer. I find the play of images delightful. The poems reflect quiet indignation at the insincerity of human ego... responding with a crushing silence.-- Dr Anuradha Bhattacharyya, assistant professor of English, author of One Word.