'Lawrence's poems are skilfully made artefacts and intensely experiential...[His] characteristic attraction to intensity pays off in a newly austere lyricism.' ("The Age", Melbourne). Anthony Lawrence is one of Australia's most highly-regarded poets and winner of two of the country's most prestigious poetry prizes. He characteristically sets his poems within powerful landscapes and seascapes. There is a dramatic confrontation in them, between the elemental forces of nature, and those within the consciousness of his characters. His focus is on relationships, the rhythms of work, and the presence of danger in these primal settings. In an interview, Lawrence says of his work: "I'd like to think that [...] my poems achieve this tricky balance: landscape veined with humanity, flora, fauna, what's imagined and what's experienced [...] I write about nature to define my life." "Strategies for Confronting Fear", a selection from his seven most recent poetry collections plus a substantial body of new work, is Lawrence's first volume of poetry to be published in the UK. 'Lawrence has crept up on the audience for Australian poetry.
He is now one of the most assured and challenging of our poets. This volume ["The Sleep of a Learning Man"] is a testament to craft skills at the service of a relentless self-questioning.' ("Australian Book Review"). | 
