https://videopress.com/v/UK4r2yaC?resizeToParent=true&cover=true&preloadContent=metadata&useAverageColor=true You may need to turn your volume up!
Author: Ian Gouge
As a compulsive writer, I have authored over thirty books: novels, collections of short stories, volumes of poetry, and some non-fiction. As an independent publisher (using my Coverstory books imprint), I have also produced a number of books for other writers, plus anthologies in which many contributors have had their work showcased - some for the first time.
“What We Can Know”
Oh dear. And I'm usually such a fan of Ian McEwan's work... What We Can Know was a real let-down. From my perspective, fundamentally flawed (and spoiler alert...) Setting the book in the middle of the twenty-second century: what was that all about? Not only completely unbelievable but distracting and unnecessary. The premise of the … Continue reading “What We Can Know”
“The Seasons of Cullen Church”
I confess I couldn't get particularly excited about Bernard O'Donoghue's The Seasons of Cullen Church; in the main the poems felt a little insipid and insignificant, and the topics lacked a certain relevance (not being Irish, nor religious, nor knowing some of the people referenced). But they should still work for all of that. However, … Continue reading “The Seasons of Cullen Church”
Virtual poetry reading event on Thursday 27th.
The 38th in a long-running series of events. Details in the link below: https://coverstorybooks.com/2026/08/23/contextual-38-in-four-days/
“After Fame”
We're told by the cover flaps that Sam Riveire's After Fame is a collection of 118 poems based - in some way shape or form - on Book 1 by the Roman poet, Martial. Which on the face of it is fair enough. However a significant proportion of the 118 are clearly not poems but … Continue reading “After Fame”
IMPORTANT – FOR ALL INGRAM SPARK USERS
I have just discovered there is an opt-out to help prevent your books being sold to AI companies (which presumably means the default is ‘opt-in’…) You can find the opt-out link here (pass it on): https://www.ingramcontent.com/page/ai-opt-out
“House of Lords and Commons”
If I struggled with Ishion Hutchinson's House of Lords and Commons that was because all too often I felt the poems sacrificed meaning in order to be 'poetic'. Often too poetic. For a large chunks of time I had no idea what was being said, getting lost in over-long 'sentences' and the tricky syntax. I … Continue reading “House of Lords and Commons”
Reading this coming Friday!
“The Melancholy Death of Oyster Boy and Other Stories”
I venture to suggest that The Melancholy Death and Oyster Boy and Other Stories (1997 in the US) was only published because Tim Burton was already famous. [Yes, the Tim Burton of 'Beetlejuice', 'Batman', 'Edward Scissorhands', 'Mars Attacks!' etc.] While the drawings are proficient, whacky and creepy, the writing isn't. Very few of the poems … Continue reading “The Melancholy Death of Oyster Boy and Other Stories”
“Seascraper”
Benjamin Wood's Seascraper is excellent. On reflection, I think I was most impressed by its authenticity: you could believe the character and - perhaps just as important in this case - the environment Wood was describing. And I liked the fact that the novel ended on an upbeat note, one which allowed you to mentally … Continue reading “Seascraper”
Ian Gouge - Writer 