Not Even October

Synopsis

Not Even October is a poignant, wry and sharply observed collection about memory, masculinity and modern life. With a compelling and humane voice, Relf captures the quiet dramas of everyday life – from dog-walking to clearing out a loft, from Zoom quizzes to roadside deer collisions. These poems are rich in tenderness, self-awareness and humour, shaped by middle age, grief and friendship. Relf's lines evoke love lost and found, late-night regrets, and the flickering, beautiful absurdities of being alive in a digital, distracted world. Whether recalling childhood poaching expeditions, TV jingles or hotel hangovers, his poems return always to the question: How do we hold on to what matters – and let go of what doesn't?

Not Even October is a powerful and accessible collection from a poet who speaks directly to the reader – and whose words linger long after the page is turned.

Praise for this Book

‘Relf has a real eye, and an original voice: frank, immediate, humorous. Most admirable of all, his poems find the surreal, the profound, in the fray of the everyday.’ —Rachel Long

‘A bold, fresh voice.’ —Luke Wright

‘Lovely, lively and utterly unique. It’s always a treat to read a Tim Relf poem.’ —Helen Mort