Praise for Waiting for the Past
A transcendental collection [that] creates a lived-in world that is both celebrated and lamented . . . it is a wonderful achievement. –Sean O'Brien,
The Guardian Full of [Murray's] characteristic joy at getting things made. Even when writing about tragedy and suffering he can't quite suppress the sheer thrill of hand-crafting the miracle. –Clive James,
The Quadrant The poems in [Murray's] latest collection seldom extend beyond a single page . . . yet they show . . . how brilliantly he can compress infinite riches . . . What keeps us going is the excitement in the language, the unpredictability (has there ever been a poet so unwilling to give us what we expect in the next line?) and the entertaining variety of subject matter. –John Greening,
Times Literary Supplement Praise for Les Murray
"For new readers the imperative remains: start immediately, and start anywhere; and wonder, not where Les Murray has been-because for the last quarter century at least he has been waiting to be found, like an undiscovered or, rather, 'undiscovered, ' continent-but where you have been, yourselves." –Michael Hofmann
