Now including an afterword and new poems by the author and an introduction by Gary Younge
Pioneering poet Linton Kwesi Johnson has revolutionized English literature with his
electrifying fusion of oral verse Jamaican speech radical politics and reggae rhythms. This
new edition of a vital selection of poems covers over four decades and includes classic early
poems such as 'Inglan is a Bitch' 'New Craas Massakah' and 'Sonny's Lettah' as well as
compelling recent work. 'Linton Kwesi Johnson's impact on the cultural landscape over the last
half-century has been colossal and multi-generational . . . His political ferocity and his
tireless scrutiny of history are truly Pinteresque as is the humour with which he pursues
them' Guardian 'A warrior wordsmith whose couplets take no prisoners' The Times 'Linton
Kwesi Johnson's body of work - the sheer length breadth depth politics performance rhyme
and reason of it - bears witness to a lifetime of lending lyrical form to a condition that
Britain has proved unable or unwilling (or both) to name' Gary Younge
