A poem does not have to be famous to be cherished. The best-known poems of Robert Burns have been loved by countless people over the years, but there are other poems that may be largely unknown that will mean a great deal to the few who are familiar with them.
Brownjohn's new book, intriguingly titled A Bottle, is one of his most varied and resourceful to date, featuring not only characteristically funny and entertaining poems and mysterious, gripping narratives (the title poem) but also moving tributes and elegies, love poems, and some absorbing social observation.