The travels of sorrow

Dermot Healy's death in the summer of 2014 reverberated deeply and far. Four of his books of poems have already touched and tickled readers in surprising ways. Like all his writing they are marked by insight, empathy and wit. Ordinary acts and exchanges become luminous, even transcendent. 'The Travels of Sorrow', assembled by his long-time editor, Peter Fallon, is a windfall, the last gift of a compelling, original and charismatic artist.