Alison Brackenbury's ballads for the modern world sing with a truth and directness that reach back through Edward Thomas and John Clare to the English folk-tradition itself. There are poems about birds and animals, the ancient rhythms of weather, landscape and season. The modern world is held in balance: terrorism, foreign war and domestic tension.

At the centre of Singing in the Dark are lyrics from Alison Brackenbury's radio poems, acclaimed by the critics:

'Enchants' The Times

'Glorious' Gillian Reynolds, Daily Telegraph

'Filigreed with images of light and dark throughout, it's evocative, amusing and utterly compelling.' Frances Lass, Radio Times

From Edward Thomas' army songs to Nick Drake's guitar, Alison Brackenbury's book offers music for dark times.