In Conjurors, a major poet is revealed for the first time. Julian Orde (1917-74) published only in magazines during her lifetime. She was a key figure in the Carcanet anthology of the mid-century, Apocalypse (2020), but this is her first collection, presenting more than sixty poems, with a biographical and critical introduction. Orde’s poetry was selected for reading and discussion during the Zoom launch of Apocalypse by Simon Armitage and has attracted considerable attention. Closely associated with W.S. Graham, and influenced by his poetry, Orde has a distinctive voice very much of her own, and was warmly appreciated by William Empson: ‘Wonder at nature, wonder at all experience, is her note, and she gets a great deal of variety into it; also she has a beautiful ear, and a supply of unforced humour.’ Her lyrical surrealism will draw a wide readership.
