NEW HOPE INTERNATIONAL REVIEW ON-LINE

Beautifully presented, and over 170 pages, this is a book rather than a journal, and though the price seems at first glance high, it is worth the money. The poetry included is drawn from a wide range of cultures and styles, much in translation, giving an insight into recent developments outside this country. There is a preference for strongly atmospheric poetry, in a variety of forms but generally sharing a strong sense of place.

Some names will be familiar: the Australian John Kinsella and the Leeds based Ian Duhig, for example. Others, like Nazim Hikmet may not be known to English readers — though he is considered to be one of the greatest Turkish poets, banned for thirty years in his own country, but now translated into more than fifty languages. His LETTERS TO MERMET FUAT FROM PRISON are translated here by Mutlu Kanuk.

Other poems I particularly liked include THE OLD HOUSE by Zelda Schneersohn Mishkovsky, and MIST by Ahmad Shamlu:

	Mist has blanketed the desert, all over.
	The village lights are hidden.
	A warm wave pulsates through the desert arteries.
	The desert

		Weary
		Tightlipped
		Breathless
	Slowly perspires from every pore in the delirium of the mist.

It will be interesting to see if so prestigious and wide-ranging a journal is able to survive in a competitive world, but the first number certainly bodes well.

This journal is published by Bilkent University in Turkey and it includes quality work from around the world. There are several good translations of high profile Turkish poets and some excellent material from authors writing in English. This includes contributions from well-known Bloodaxers, Pauline Stainer and Peter Didsbury, and an excellent review of a new Hafiz collection by Jeremy Reed.

Particularly pleasing is a contribution from Deena Linett which discusses the production of her poem BRIGHT YELLOW SQUARE: LAIB'S POLLEN. She includes three early drafts alongside the final version, together with an account of her creative decisions. It's a very interesting insight into the business of honing and developing an idea into art — a valuable piece for creative writing students I think.

All in all this is an outstanding journal, thoughtfully edited and rich with the patina of quality.