the Sun, Moon & Ripe Cucumbers

From the winner of the 2022 National Poetry Prize, Stuart Payne's second collection showcases the growth of a bright, refined voice in South African poetry. His metrical, often rhyming style blends traditional poetic forms with modern rhythms, echoing patterns found in popular music."Stuart Payne is a wordsmith of great skill. There is not a phrase nor a rhythm out of place. His subject range extends from the heavenly bodies to his eponymous cucumbers."- Geoff Haresnape"This is a carefully crafted, and generous collection, sensitive to the intricacies of everyday life and mindful of its transitory, often illusive, generally wondrous nature."- Patricia Schonstein