Kafka said we should read books which bite and sting: 'If the book we are reading does not wake us up with a blow to the head, what's the point in reading? A book must be the axe which smashes the frozen sea within us.'

Brian Hinton applied this to Neil Astley's anthology Poetry with an Edge, which 'crystallises what he has already achieved with Bloodaxe, well designed and committed books, though never comfortable to read. They answer Kafka's definition of what real literature should be.'

New Blood is the sequel to Poetry with an Edge, which marked Bloodaxe's first decade of poetry publishing. This completely new anthology brings together poets who have published their first collections during the past ten years. The book also features illuminating commentaries by the poets on their poems.

'Bold, energetic, biting Bloodaxe hacked at the roots of critical prejudice, clearing the way for bright new contemporary poets. Now, as it celebrates its 21st birthday, it proves that its edge is still sharp. New Blood, an anthology of poets who have published their first collections within the past decade, catches the contemporary imagination. The range of the works is characteristically inclusive and non-judgemental . . . as broad and representative spectrum of work as enticing to as many readers as possible . . . Unlofty, real-life works, they capture the cadences of speech and the immediacy of experience' - Rachel Campbell-Johnston, The Times.

THIS TITLE IS NOW OUT OF PRINT, BUT SECOND-HAND COPIES MAY BE AVAILABLE VIA AMAZON.  You could also refer to Neil Astley's most recent anthology of Bloodaxe poets: In Person: 30 Poets, filmed by Pamela Robertson-Pearce, which includes two free DVDs of 30 poets reading their work.