Kerry Hardie's We Go On: interviews & reviews
‘We Go On, Kerry Hardie’s ninth collection, is an astonishingly well-crafted and striking consideration of the glory of our fractured and increasingly fragile world.’ – Linda McKenna, The High Window
Kerry Hardie's ninth collection We Go On was published in February 2024, following Where Now Begins (2020). We Go On was launched online with Bloodaxe on 20 February - scroll down to view the video.
Kerry Hardie was born in 1951 and grew up in County Down. She now lives in County Kilkenny with her husband, the writer Seán Hardie. Her poems have won many prizes, including the Michael Hartnett Award for Poetry, the National Poetry Prize (Ireland), the Katherine and Patrick Kavanagh Award, the James Joyce Suspended Sentence Award (Australia) and the Lawrence O’Shaughnessy Award for Poetry. Her Selected Poems (2011) was published by Gallery Press in Ireland and by Bloodaxe Books in Britain. Her seventh collection, The Zebra Stood in the Night, was published by Bloodaxe Books in 2014 and shortlisted for the Irish Times–Poetry Now Award, and followed by Where Now Begins, in 2020. Her ninth collection, We Go On, was published by Bloodaxe in 2024. Her books have been published by Bloodaxe in both the UK and Ireland since 2014.
BOOKS OF THE YEAR PODCAST PICK FOR KERRY HARDIE
Books for Breakfast podcast, Books of the Year, Thursday 19 December 2024
Kerry Hardie’s ninth collection We Go On was chosen by poet Adam Wyeth as one of his poetry picks on the Books of the Year edition of Books for Breakfast on 19 December. Adam also mentioned Katie Donovan, whose sixth book of poetry May Swim was published in May, and Aoife Lyall, whose second collection The Day Before came out in February, and whom Adam called ‘one of the rising stars of Irish poetry’.
Kerry Hardie’s collection was given a lovely introduction by Enda at 33:30. Adam then spoke about why he had chosen We Go On as one of his poetry books of the year. He read an extract from Kerry’s poem ‘Grief’.
‘I love Kerry Hardie – she’s an incredible poet, and this collection is just extraordinary writing. To me she is the Tomas Tranströmer of Irish poetry, which is the highest accolade […] she has this stark, plain-spoken precision, but this lyrical depth, and you just know that this is a collection you’re going to read for the rest of your life.’ – Adam Wyeth, Books for Breakfast (Books of the Year 2024)
‘Join us for a lively discussion of some of the best books published this year. At the breakfast table to discuss their poetry and fiction choices are poet Adam Wyeth and novelist Henrietta McKervey. Plenty of stocking filler ideas here, and Peter and Enda also get to mention some of their own favourite books of the year, or ones they finally got around to reading this year. This is a double espresso and multiple pastry episode, so get that pot on the stove and get the earbuds in!’
Adam features from 8:04 and mentions Katie and Aoife early in his introduction to Irish poetry books published this year. Kerry Hardie is discussed from 33:30.
https://booksforbreakfast.buzzsprout.com/1162427/episodes/16221232-70-books-of-the-year-with-adam-wyeth-and-henrietta-mckervey
Both Kerry Hardie and Aoife Lyall were interviewed on Books for Breakfast on 29 February 2024 ahead of their joint launch in Dublin. Kerry Hardie features from 7:09 and Aoife Lyall from 18:50.
https://www.buzzsprout.com/1162427/14601325
KERRY HARDIE POEM ON IRISH RADIO
Arena, RTÉ Radio 1, Wednesday 11 December 2024, 7pm
Irish poet Edna Wyley presented her selection of winter poems on RTÉ Radio 1’s Arena on 11 December and discussed her choices with presenter Seán Rocks. Enda read and introduced ‘When Oranges Were Spanish’ from Kerry Hardie’s ninth collection We Go On.
‘I think that her book that she brought out this year, We Go On from Bloodaxe, is one of the finest collections – I really loved it. She is a poet that really goes dark and meditative, but this poem is full of a strange kind of imaginative joy as well.’ – Enda Wyley, speaking on Arena
‘Arena marks the season with a selection of wintry poetry, as chosen by poet Enda Wyley.’
This item is available as a separate clip. Kerry Hardie’s poem is introduced at 4:08.
https://www.rte.ie/radio/radio1/clips/22470383/
INTERVIEW ON RTÉ RADIO 1's POETRY PEOPLE
Poetry People, RTÉ Radio 1, Sunday 16 June 2024, 7-7.30pm
Kerry Hardie was interviewed on the final episode of the inaugural series of RTÉ Radio 1’s new weekly poetry programmePoetry People. She was in conversation with host Rachael Hegarty about her life and poetry. In her introduction, Rachael said that Kerry’s poems have been likened to ‘dark and gorgeous hymns to mortality.’
Kerry read and introduced her poems ‘At the Château Lavigny, Switzerland’ and ‘Thirteen’ from her ninth collection We Go On.
Kerry features from 17:29. https://www.rte.ie/radio/radio1/poetry-people/2024/0616/1455037-poetry-people-sunday-16-june-2024/
REVIEW COVERAGE
The Irish Times, Saturday 1 June 2024
Kerry Hardie’s We Go On was reviewed in Vona Groarke’s poetry round-up in The Irish Times of 1 June. Both the headline and the caption referred to We Go On.
‘… the overall effect is of language summoned and galvanized in a sensitive and searching book.’ – Vona Groarke, The Irish Times
In print. Available online by subscription.
https://www.irishtimes.com/culture/books/review/2024/06/02/new-poetry-all-souls-into-the-night-that-flies-so-fast-we-go-on-baby-schema/
The Tablet, 18 April 2024
Kerry Hardie’s ninth collection We Go On was well reviewed in The Tablet of 18 April 2024.
‘Kerry Hardie’s deceptively simple We Go On explores…vulnerabilities: the fragility of being human in a fickle world. She writes beautifully about the spectre which haunts us all: our mortality.’ – Rachel Mann, The Tablet
In print, and also available online – register to read one article for free. ‘An Anglican priest and poet explores poetry of faith, ghosts and the fragility of being human in a fickle world.’
https://www.thetablet.co.uk/books/10/24297/the-light-of-the-hidden
ONLINE REVIEW COVERAGE
The High Window, online 11 April 2024
An excellent review of Kerry Hardie’s ninth collection We Go On has gone online in the April 2024 edition of The High Window.
‘We Go On, Kerry Hardie’s ninth collection, is an astonishingly well-crafted and striking consideration of the glory of our fractured and increasingly fragile world […] These are poems where the rhythms of hymns, ballads, elegies and laments, with more than a nod to the Bardic tradition, are honed and whittled to an arresting and haunting clarity. Nothing is superfluous here, every line and metaphor is carefully considered to stitch meaning and imagery together, securely and beautifully.’ – Linda McKenna, The High Window
https://thehighwindowpress.com/2024/04/11/the-high-window-reviews-24/#Kerrie%20Hardie
AOIFE LYALL, KERRY HARDIE & FLEUR ADCOCK ON BOOKS FOR BREAKFAST
Books for Breakfast podcast, Thursday 29 February 2024
Kerry Hardie and Aoife Lyall were both interviewed on Books for Breakfast ahead of their joint Dublin launch at Hodges Figgis and spoke to Peter and Enda about their new collections. Kerry read ‘We Go On’, ‘The Ground under my Feet’, ‘The Transparent Kaleidoscope’ and ‘Vikings’ from We Go On. Aoife Lyall read ‘Moss’, ‘Torch’ and ‘Knuckles’ from her second collection The Day Before.
‘On today's show we discuss Fleur Adcock's Collected Poems, newly published by Bloodaxe Books, and we go to the launch of two more Bloodaxe books in Hodges Figgis, Kerry Hardie's We Go On and Aoife Lyall's The Day Before. We talk to both poets about their work and listen to them reading their poems.’
Fleur Adcock’s Collected Poems was discussed first. Kerry Hardie features from 7:09 and Aoife Lyall from 18:50.
https://www.buzzsprout.com/1162427/14601325
Online launch reading by Fleur Adcock, Kerry Hardie and Aoife Lyall, 20 February 2024
Fleur Adcock, Kerry Hardie and Aoife Lyall celebrated the publication of their new books with an online launch reading on our YouTube channel. All three poets read live and discussed their work with the host, Bloodaxe editor Neil Astley. This free Bloodaxe launch event is now available to watch on this YouTube page: https://youtube.com/live/_dLjHYNGf1Y.
[11 April 2024]
