It will happen by chance

This anthology features the work of twenty-nine published British, American and Canadian poets, brought together in one volume by a common country of residence - France - and their membership in the French Online Poetry Stanza group. Drawing on their diverse backgrounds and sensibilities, they represent a rich vein of talent and offer the reader a wide variety of accessible and authentic poetic voices. Celebrated poet Roger McGough wrote: 'The French Online Stanza spreading its wings so eloquently to show that poems don't need passports.' Poet and tutor Heidi Williamson wrote: 'The varied voices in this anthology share many things - a love of languages, an itinerant sense of (dis)location, and acute attention to the dailiness of life. These poems meditate on the frail connectivity of communication, silence, relationships, and what each of us loses over time. But what shines through is the love of place(s), of people, of particular moments that each writer carries with them, and to us.' Creative writing tutor Sue Burge wrote: ' This beautiful anthology is a symphony of diverse voices. The poems tackle an engaging mix of subject matter: wooden spoons 'like a stand of trees in winter', a lover's silhouette, the art of paper-making, marshlands and mountains, love and friendship and, of course, coffee and croissants! The poems are polished and meticulously crafted, every one a tiny, glowing world. There is a joyful, collective camaraderie embedded in the book, and often the poems feel in dialogue with each other. A greatly enjoyable read.'