Rising in the East Poems by young writers from London's East End

Benjamin Zephania's introduction declares he's against judging poetry, since no one has the authority to say that a mastery of technique creates poetry which is superior to that which arises from unsophisticated integrity of expression. The writing presented here certainly has an abundance of such integrity. It describes in compact and very direct language the everyday lives of the children of the East End. Racism, violence and urban poverty are bemoaned, but the main theme is a delight in the virtues of this area. There is little in the way of verbal cleverness here, but the honesty and variety of the collection make it well worth acquiring.