Poetry Collections

John Buchan is known throughout the world as a thriller writer, particularly for The Thirty-Nine Steps . What is less well recognised is that he was a highly accomplished poet, much admired by Hugh MacDiarmid, and whose work continues to be included in contemporary poetry anthologies. Buchan's first published verse, written when he was eleven years old was a hymn, and in his twenties he won the Newdigate Poetry Prize at Oxford. He often included his own poems in his novels, and during the First World War these were collected, along with newly written war poems, into a well-received volume of poetry, half of which were written in Scots. Andrew Lownie, who has written a biography of Buchan, and William G. Milne have gathered together the first complete collection of his poems. Now, for the first time, we are able to find and understand the real John Buchan, for it is impossible for a poet to hide his innermost thoughts and feelings. This is a remarkable collection: written whilst living in several countries, and covering a variety of themes: religious, secular, military, political, personal, and even those included in his books for children.