77pp. Collection of twenty-eight poems by Ciaran Carson. Gallery Books series edited by Peter Fallon. Green card covers with yellow and white lettering on front and spine. Cover illustration 'The Wieza Babel' by St. Dobiasz. Red end pages. Previous owner's neat name stamp on inside front cover. Touch of shelf wear to tip of corners and top of spine. Light toning to top page edge. Otherwise in VG+ condition.

Seller Inventory # 015783

Contact seller

Report this item

Bibliographic Details

Title: First Language
Publisher: The Gallery Press, Oldcastle, County Meath, Ireland
Publication Date: 1993
Language: English
ISBN 10: 1852351284
ISBN 13: 9781852351281
Binding: Soft cover
Edition: 1st Edition
Condition: Very Good
Dust Jacket Condition: No Jacket

About this title

Synopsis

Ciaran Carson won the first-ever T. S. Eliot Poetry Prize for First Language

About the Author

Born in 1948 in Belfast, Northern Ireland, Ciaran Carson studied at Queen’s University, Belfast, where, from 2003 2015, he served as the director of the Seamus Heaney Centre for Poetry. Though recently retired from that post, he continues to teach a postgraduate poetry workshop there, in addition to overseeing the Belfast Writers’ Group. Earlier in his career (from 1975 1998), Ciaran Carson acted as an arts officer for the Arts Council of Northern Ireland. He is also a member of Aosd�na and is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature. A writer of both poetry and prose fiction and non-fiction alike Ciaran Carson has also translated many texts, including The Midnight Court, a work of the eighteenth-century poet Brian Merriman, and a version of Dante’s The Inferno, which won the Oxford Weidenfeld Translation Prize. His other awards include the first-ever T. S. Eliot Prize (1994, for First Language), and the Forward Prize for Best Collection (2003, for Breaking News). As well as being a significant poet and careful translator, Carson is also a scholar of traditional Irish music; he frequently plays the flute alongside his wife, the accomplished Irish fiddler Deirdre Shannon. He has said: I’m not interested in ideologies . . . I’m interested in the words, and how they sound to me, how words connect with experience, of fear, of anxiety . . . Your only responsibility is to the language.”

"About this title" may belong to another edition of this title.

Store Description

The Bookshop at Beech Cottage trades exclusively via the internet. I acquire most of my stock through a network of suppliers based in southern England. My particular interests are illustrated Private Press and modern Poetry. I also have a collection of Prospectuses and similar ephemera. I am careful to select only the better quality items for the Bookshop that are within my speciality and pass on those that are outside my remit. I am a former librarian and read for pleasure - as many booksellers do! I take great care of my books while they are staying at Beech Cottage and would only ask my customers that they do likewise. Happy reading!

Visit Seller's Storefront

Seller's business information

The Bookshop at Beech Cottage
United Kingdom

Sale & Shipping Terms

Terms of Sale

WELCOME : I am pleased to be able to do business with you and aim to make your purchase of my books as trouble free as I can. I usually post items by 1st class mail or Tracked Airmail and will quote you a fixed price depending on the weight of the package. If the item(s) is heavy or oversized I will let you know the postage options available. I usually add �1.00 for packaging materials and �1.00 for customs handling charges, as required, for each consignment. If it is cheaper to post individual ...

More Information

Shipping Terms

I take care of your book order by using secure packaging materials - with extra cardboard support, if necessary, especially for international shipping. My Abe shipping costs are based on books weighing 2 lb (1 kg). If your book order is heavy or oversized, I may contact you to let you know that an extra shipping cost is required. And conversely, if your order is for a light weight or small item, I will adjust the shipping costs accordingly. I try to use shipping services that can provide a Tracking Number for your parcel and where possible I will let you know the tracking number when your book is on its way to you.
As of August 29, 2025 the de minimis exemption for imports of printed paper products to the U.S.A. has been eliminated. This means that even low-value packages containing books, leaflets, cards, posters etc can no longer enter the U.S. duty-free. I will continue to use Royal Mail or a reputable courier (eg FedEx) for shipping books to U.S. customers.
Royal Mail have introduced a new Postal Delivered Duties Paid (PDDP) service that handles customs duties and fees payable before the item leaves the UK. I will communicate with my U.S. customers before I process your AbeBooks order to advize about any additional customs charges that are payable. There will also be increased scrutiny by US Customs of packages when they arrive in the U.S., which could lead to delays in you receiving your book order.

Shipping rates from United Kingdom to U.S.A.

Shipping rates from United Kingdom to U.S.A.
Order quantity	30 to 60 business days	10 to 20 business days
First item	US$ 26.15	US$ 29.51

Delivery times are set by sellers and vary by carrier and location. Orders passing through Customs may face delays and buyers are responsible for any associated duties or fees. Sellers may contact you regarding additional charges to cover any increased costs to ship your items.