MATTHEW HOLLIS was born in Norwich in 1971. Ground Water (Bloodaxe, 2004) was shortlisted for the Guardian First Book Award, the Whitbread Prize for Poetry and the Forward Prize for Best First Collection. He is co-editor of 101 Poems Against War (Faber, 2003) and Strong Words: Modern Poets on Modern Poetry (Bloodaxe, 2000), and editor of Selected Poems of Edward Thomas (Faber, 2011). Now All Roads to France: the Last Years of Edward Thomas (Faber, 2011) won the Costa Biography Award and the H. W. Fisher Biography Prize.
‘Hollis writes a knowing, lyrical poetry set against a landscape of big skies and battened-down horizons. He combines worldly wisdom with more detailed, vernacular understanding to produce poems that speak with a sense of purpose and place.’
Simon Armitage
Forthcoming Events + News
W. W. Norton
W. W. Norton will publish Now All Roads Lead to France in the United States on 24 September. For details click here.
New films in the Guardian
Sarah Crown joins Matthew for a walk around Edward Thomas’s Hampshire and for a reading from Now All Roads Lead to France in Cameron Robertson’s two films for the Guardian.
Now All Roads Lead to France wins Costa Biography Award
NOW ALL ROADS LEAD TO FRANCE: The Last Years of Edward Thomas has won the Costa Biography Award. For details click here
New poem published in New Statesman
‘The Staithe’ has been published in New Statesman, 12 December 2011
Now All Roads Lead to France wins H. W. Fisher Biography Prize
NOW ALL ROADS LEAD TO FRANCE: The Last Years of Edward Thomas has won the Biographers’ Club H. W. Fisher Best First Biography Award. For details click here
BBC Radio 4, Book of the Week, 15-19 August 2011, 9.45am
Read by Tobias Menzies
Abridged by Richard Hamilton
Produced by Emma HardingTo listen to the broadcast, click here
Publication, 4 August 2011
NOW ALL ROADS LEAD TO FRANCE: The Last Years of Edward Thomas, a biography by Matthew, is published by Faber and Faber on 4 August 2011 simultaneously with his edition of Thomas’s SELECTED POEMS.
Read Matthew’s specially commissioned pieces on the friendship of Edward Thomas and Robert Frost for the Guardian, and on the composition of Thomas’s poem ‘Adlestrop’ in the New Statesman.
Download the Faber podcast and watch Matthew talking about the book here.
Matthew Hollis on Now All Roads Lead to France from FaberBooks on Vimeo.
Read the first reviews: Sunday Telegraph, Independent, Financial Times, Daily Mail, Guardian, Independent (Selected Poems), New Statesman, Literary Review, Irish Times, Irish Examiner, Daily Telegraph and Guardian (Selected Poems), Herald and Spectator. A summary of comments by the Sunday Times, Independent and Mail on Sunday appears here. Commenteries on Thomas appear in the Irish Independent and Independent.
Now All Roads Lead to France has been recognised with a Royal Society of Literature Jerwood Award for Non-Fiction.
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EVENTS
Sunday 28 October 2012, 2.30pm
IPSWICH, Friends’ Meeting House
Suffolk Poetry Society
The Last Years of Edward ThomasDetails: tel 01376 563714
www.suffolkpoetrysociety.org.uk
Saturday 20 October 2012 (tbc)
WELLS FESTIVAL OF LITERATURE, Somerset
Details: tbc
http://www.wellslitfest.org.uk
Friday 12 October 2012 (tbc)
MANCHESTER LITERATURE FESTIVAL
Details: tbc
http://www.manchesterliteraturefestival.co.uk
Thursday 4 October 2012 (tbc)
SEVENOAKS LITERARY CELEBRATION, Kent
Details: tbc
http://www.sevenoaksliterarycelebration.com
Saturday 21 July 2012 (tbc)
PORT ELIOT FESTIVAL, Cornwall
Details: tel 01503 232783
info@porteliotfestival.com
http://www.porteliotfestival.com
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Tuesday 5 June 2012, 5.30pm
HAY FESTIVAL, Digital Stage
Now All Roads Lead to FranceDetails: box office, tel 01497 822 629
http://www.hayfestival.com
Saturday 26 May 2012, 7.30pm
CHARLESTON, Sussex
Charleston Literary Festival
Roads to France with Marcel TherouxDetails: Box Office, tel 01273 709709
http://www.brightonticketshop.com
Monday 21 May 2012, 6.30pm
LONDON, Wandsworth Arts Festival, Battersea Library
Edward Thomas: Now All Roads Lead to FranceDetails: tel 020 8871 7466
cdobb@wandsworth.gov.uk
http://www.wandsworth.gov.uk
Saturday 12 May 2012, 2pm & 5pm
WELLS-NEXT-THE-SEA, The Maltings, Norfolk
Poetry-next-the-SeaA poetry reading with Jean Sprackland (2pm)
Now All Roads Lead to France: a talk on Edward Thomas (5pm)Details: Box Office, tel 01328 738243
fmfraser@bmkt.freeserve.co.uk
http://www.poetry-next-the-sea.com
Friday 13 April 2012, 5.30pm
CAMBRIDGE, Wordfest, ADC Theatre, Cambridgeshire
Wordfest
Now All Roads Lead to France in conversation with Robert MacfarlaneDetails: Box Office, tel 01223 515335
admin@cambridgewordfest.co.uk
http://www.cambridgewordfest.co.uk
Monday 27 March 2012, 7pm
LONDON, London Review Bookshop, 14 Bury Place
On Edward Thomas in conversation with David ConstantineDetails: LRB, tel 020 7269 9030
books@lrbshop.co.uk
http://www.lrbshop.co.uk
Saturday 17 March 2012, 11.30am & 3.30pm
ST ANDREWS, Brye Theatre, Fife
StAnzaRound Table (The Green Room, St Leonards Quad, South Street, 11.30am-12.15pm)
In conversation with Joyce McMillan about Edward Thomas and Robert Frost (Byre Theatre, Abbey Street, 3.30-4.30pm)Details: Box Office, tel 01223 515335
info@stanzapoetry.org
http://www.stanzapoetry.org
Friday 9 March 2012, 3.30pm
KESWICK, Main House, Cumbria
Words by the Water
in association with The Wordsworth TrustDetails: Box Office, tel 017687 74411
http://www.theatrebythelake.co.uk
Thursday, 26 January 2012, 6.30pm
LONDON, The George, The Strand
The Biographers’ ClubDetails:
secretary@biographersclub.co.uk
http://www.biographersclub.co.uk
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The Poetry Archive
Matthew’s recording of Ground Water for The Poetry Archive is now available on CD and online. To visit the Archive click here, or to purchase the CD click here.