The bard of Dollis Hill

Winner of Best First Collection for 2007 at the UK Forward Prize for poetry went to Daljit Nagra, 40, from north-west London, for his book of poetry - Look We Have Coming to Dover.

The book has had quite a few rave reviews, corroborated by those who have read it and written comments at the above amazon.com link!

More information about the poet and his work:

With Sikh Punjabi parents who came to Britain in the late 1950's, Nagra took inspiration from his personal life exploring ideas of identity and immigration in contemporary Britain, whilst also acknowledging a rich literary tradition by paying homage to the nineteenth century poet Matthew Arnold and his poem Dover Beach, itself an expression of a modern sensibility. Yet, instead of the outward look at conflicts abroad, Nagra reverses the gaze to immigrants coming to Britain and to those who have settled here successfully.

The title poem, which won the Forward Prize in 2004 for best single poem, and a few others can be read here.