David Harsent wins TS Eliot prize for poetry for Fire Songs

After four previous appearances on the shortlist for the TS Eliot prize for poetry, David Harsent has finally taken the honour for his 11th collection of poems, Fire Songs. He was described by the chair of the judging panel, the poet and novelist Helen Dunmore, as “a poet for dark and dangerous days”.

She added: “Fire Songs plumbs language and emotion with technical brilliance and prophetic power.”