No Earthly Estate : The Religious Poetry of Patrick Kavanagh

Patrick Kavanagh's poems are widely quoted nowadays in all kinds of religious writing and discourse, from theology to spirituality.

Key phrases of his, like 'God is in the bits and pieces of every day' are almost cliches by now in religious writing in Ireland.

However, the theological background to his writing, and the originality and creativity of his own theological contribution is seldom acknowledged or understood. This annotated selection of his poems is offered to fill this gap. Approximately thirty poems make up the collection, including the two major long poems, The Great Hunger and Lough Derg, and each will have a particular note by Tom Stack on the spiritual and theological aspects of the poem.

The full collection will be indtroduced with an overall essay on the theological and spiritual background to the world in which Kavanagbh grew up and which profoundly affected his work. The book will be published in an attractive small hardback format with full-colour dust jacket.