Concealed Drives: A Collection of Poems from North Eastern England

Concealed Drives is a collection of poems framing thoughts and lamentations on bygone eras in North East England. The poems jump from locales to personal scenarios, recalling the history of the places and the accompanying intransigent decline through stark and eery glimpses into lives and habitats.

The tone is at times melancholic, irreverent, honest, insightful while sometimes brutal and nihilistic, providing a refreshing alternative to the gushing sentimentality that so often characterises works on regional themes. The idea of a formerly thriving North East is contrasted with an often ironic and regretful post-modern outlook. At once solemn and at other times striking, the highly crafted forms are woven from the heart and reflect a life deeply connected to the subject matter.

Jerome Hanratty (1930-2013) was the author of the 5 volumes of the Wheel of Poetry as well as Christian Poems, Contexts for Creative Writing and a host of other books and plays. Jerome lived through the depression, wartime and subsequent phases of development, decay and regeneration; seemingly eternal cycles and this experience combined through the lens of an English teacher, dramatist and lover of the North East and its cryptic treasures, provides a masterful and evocative collection of reflections.