A Stone
The Beekeeper to his Assistant
The Rings
Dragonflies
Anniversary
The Book Collector
All poems taken from the collection In The Library of Lost Objects, which was published in June, 2011, by Ward Wood Publishing
In The Library of Lost Objects was shortlisted for the Patrick Kavanagh Poetry Prize, 2010, for best unpublished debut collection by an Irish author, receiving a special commendation from judge Brian Lynch.
“In this collection, the poet’s scientific background is brought to bear on his poetry as interesting connections are made in a universe where the legacies of the past pervade the present… Nature is present in many guises: awe- inspiring, hideous, watchful and yet, at the same time, non-seeing… This collection isn’t only about lost objects, but also about lost feelings and human frailty in the face of constant change.”
- Poetry Book Society: Summer Bulletin ’11
“Duffy is absolutely aware of the ways in which reader and poet meet and meld in the white spaces between words. He’s entirely respectful of that relationship; he doesn’t take us for granted, provoke or offend, or leave us lost and wandering aimlessly through his lines. Duffy understands poetry, it’s his tradition; he obviously loves it and has a curatorial urge to see it thrive. He exhibits only the good stuff, the best work, there’s no small talk, no gimmicks, nothing insincere, he just gets down to the heart of things and gives us poems that matter.”
– Grace Wells, Poetry Ireland Review (autumn 2011)
“A striking feature is the author’s fascination with (and enthusiasm for) the sciences, formal and natural, embracing mathematics, physics, geology, astronomy, and the examination of flowers, birds and insects. Having studied physics himself, Duffy is well-placed to use scientific argot, and he doesn’t shy away from mining such rich and rare vocabularies to good effect, following in the illustrious footsteps of other scientist-poets: immunologist Miroslav Holub,; biochemist Jean Bleakley; polymath Mario Petrucci and fellow physicist Iggy McGovern.”
- Maeve O’Sullivan, Orbis: autumn 2011
“Noel Duffy’s choice of title for his debut collection is a good early omen. It neatly and precisely draws together the books deepest concerns… ‘Baltic Amber’ does the kind of stitch-work that most books only dream of having. So many threads find a common ground here… the preserved ant an ideal symbol of poetry’s work of consecration, restoration and survival… Duffy’s work is rooted in a deep study of his medium and the poems in In The Library of Lost Objects work in concert in a way very few books achieve.”
- Dave Coates, Magma 51: winter 2011
An interview and reading from Noel can be found at Podcast.ie. ‘Voices From Ireland Series’. You can hear them here
In The Library of Lost Objects can be ordered from Amazon and The Book Depository.