R. S. Thomas, Desperado

This study ranges R. S. Thomas’s career, and includes a study of unpublished early notebooks; a comparison of his Manafon poems with a contemporary sociological account of a similar region; reflections on his interest in Native American history; an exploration of his poetic relationship with Geoffrey Hill; and a survey of his enduring image in Welsh poetic culture. One of the book’s recurrent themes is Thomas’s role as cultural warrior representing a marginalised nation – a crucial aspect often overlooked, not least because readers may lack the relevant historical, cultural and political context to appreciate it. With a consideration of his influence on one major Welsh contemporary religious poet, the volume concludes with a reflection on the revealing light thrown on his poetry by Thomas’s lifelong interest in Miguel de Unamuno’s .

'M. Wynn Thomas, with his usual wry wit and poetic perception, walks the path around the distant and rugged terrain of R. S. Thomas. This book is like light through a prism, the whole spectrum of the poet’s hints, ambiguities and shards on full view, and admired with such a passionate and joyful questioning. No one reads between R.S.’s lines with such clarity, and to read this book is a teasing delight to both the parched soul and roving mind.', The Very Revd Mark Oakley, Dean of Southwark

'If one were tempted to wonder whether there was more to say about R. S. Thomas, this book would settle the question straight away. One of Wales’s finest, wittiest and most searching literary scholars presents a wealth of fresh insight, informed by a decades-long immersion in R.S.’s work and a comprehensive knowledge of the world of contemporary poetry and criticism. A treasure of a book.', The Rt Revd Dr Rowan Williams