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Michael Joseph to publish Gyles Brandreth poetry anthology
Michael Joseph will publish a poetry anthology edited by Gyles Brandreth, serving as a “love letter to the power of poetry”.
Dancing by the Light of the Moon is the presenter and author’s “handpicked” anthology featuring more than 200 of the UK’s most popular poems, whilst exploring the link between poetry and mental health. Brandreth "celebrates the pleasure the poems give and the benefits memorising poetry can have on our mental health,” the publisher said.
Daniel Bunyard, head of non-fiction at Michael Joseph, bought world rights from Jonathan Lloyd at Curtis Brown
Bunyard said: “We couldn’t be more delighted that Gyles has chosen to work with Michael Joseph again, as there could be no better, more congenial or more passionate guide to the wonderful world of poetry. From clerihews to sonnets, and from Auden to Zephaniah, Gyles has picked an incredible range of poems to learn and love, to remember and share.”
Brandreth said: “Dancing by the Light of the Moon is a real passion project. It is an anthology of poems to learn by heart - hundreds of them. I have been researching the power and value of learning poetry by heart. It is brilliant for children - it helps them in their reading, writing, and communication. It is important for older people - it helps keep your synapses sharp and helps delay dementia.”
He added: “Poetry is special and does amazing and magic things - to the brain, heart and soul. With Dancing by the Light of the Moon I hope I have created a book that will help readers want to do just that - dance by the light of the moon, if only in their heads.”
Dancing by the Light of the Moon will be published in hardback by Michael Joseph on September 5th.
Brandreth is a writer, broadcaster and actor who has regularly appeared on TV shows such has “QI”, “Have I Got News For You” as well as radio programmes such as “Just a Minute”. He is the co-presenter of successful weekly podcast Something “Rhymes with Purple” alongside Channel 4 Countdown’s lexicographer Susie Dent that uncovers the hidden origins of language.
