The Poetry Society

Sussex Poets: Pighog Press

John McCullough, Cloudfish, ISBN 0-9542443-7-0
John O'Donoghue, The Beach Generation, ISBN 978-1-906309-02-2
Hugh Dunkerley, Fast, ISBN 978-1-906309-03-9

Established in 2002 by John Davies, a poet from Sussex, Pighog is a small independent press aiming, in its own words, for 'unique voices.'  Despite having limited financial resources, small presses have their advantages. They do not need to cater for the lowest common denominator. Plus such organisations attract writers more interested in their work than any sort of fame. There is also a long history behind them: both Ulysses (James Joyce) and The Waste Land (TS Eliot) were first published by small presses.

So far Pighog has produced 14 publications, one of which won the Poetry Book Society Pamphlet Choice in Autumn 2005. Their website has a simple and clear format, although it resembles a catalogue more than anything else. However, it does have a sister site - called The South - a kind of online community for Sussex poets. Three recent Pighog collections show off this vibrant poetry scene.

Water is the current running through Cloudfish, John McCullough's début collection. Out of his seascapes comes a voice both deep and whimsical. Clouds, sneakers and buttons all gain personalities, while in 'The Aquarium Party' stingrays are captured by a deft one-liner. McCullough is at his best with 'The Cloud Makers'.  He opens with a breezy image of the weather as a game of chess by the gods - "Odin's cumulus castles" - in a poem that observes the strange persistence of superstition. Occasionally though, his name-dropping risks isolating readers. Rimbaud, Foucault and Betelgeuse (scandalous bohemian poet, French philosopher, red star - if you're interested) could do with a reference or quick explanation. Such obscurities leave a few closed doors amongst these otherwise wide-eyed poems.

Cloudfish is not the end of John McCullough. He resurfaces on page 14 of the collection The Beach Generation, described as having "a different vision in each eye." Either extremely warm-hearted or wanting to save on birthday presents, John O'Donoghue has dedicated each of his poems to a friend. And sometimes it works. 'Tall As Any English Tree' depicts an individual, and yet allows the reader to share in his appreciation for the earth. Other poems such as 'Handwriting' use the dedication as a license to revel in seemingly insignificant personal traits. Much of the collection, however, is like looking through a stranger's holiday snaps: O'Donoghue's tightly phrased poems can easily be lost on a reader.

Not everyone has the time to google little-known Brighton artists or indeed track down O'Donoghue’s 25 individuals. For those who prefer poetry easily accessible there is Hugh Dunkerley. Fast, his second pamphlet, contains careful, almost methodical observations of both the dark and dear sides of human nature. A tender moment in an otherwise gruesome tale of memory loss, 'Waltz' is a quietly outstanding example of his style. Dunkerley's subtle manner works well too with 'In the Dark Room', where the uncertainties and delicacies of photography are beautifully balanced with those of love. Perhaps not the most adventurous of collections, nevertheless each poem has earned its place on the page.

Fast would certainly be a great collection for someone making their first foray into reading poetry. It speaks very much of modern times, with its poems about Breatharians, Japanese supermarkets and missing children. For the dreamy, Cloudfish offers a trip to the misty seaside. For those well connected in Sussex, The Beach Generation will no doubt provide joy. All three point to a lively press, publishing a variety of voices.

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