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The Distance of a Shout: Selected Poems
- Author
- Michael Ondaatje
- Narrator
- Michael Ondaatje
- Publisher
- Random House
- Publish Date
- 12 March 2026
- Run Time
- 4 hours
- Format
- Audiobook
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What to expect
Brought to you by Penguin.
From independence movements in Sri Lanka to train stations in contemporary Ontario, an intimate and witty selection of Michael Ondaatje’s most widely loved poems taken across fifty years
Through poems that grow out of his profound understanding of the subtle complexities of life and relationships, of how we lose and find ourselves, Michael Ondaatje navigates his own past, beginning with memories of his childhood in Sri Lanka and his eccentric family, to his life in rural southern Ontario with its beloved rivers, celebrations of treasured friends, the close ties of children.
Ondaatje is one of the great poets of love, and here we follow him through the exhilarations of youth into that ‘storm of music’, the passionate, sensuous swerves of longing and desire, until we reach the calm of that moment when ‘only a cloud’s reflection holding you up / You swim into late afternoon’.
The Distance of a Shout offers us a glimpse into the interwoven life and art of one of our most cherished poets and novelists – a reminder itself of the power of great poetry to shine a light on living.
'My life always stops for a new book by Michael Ondaatje' JHUMPA LAHIRI
'Each new book of Michael Ondaatje’s is a literary event, but that is particularly true for his books of poetry' TERRANCE HAYES
© Michael Ondaatje 2026 (P) Penguin Audio 2026
Critics Review
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A beautiful meditation on sex, memory and ageing, vividly phrased without ever being overcomplex or obscure. If you’re curious about poetry but deterred by its sometimes exalted air, start here
Daily Telegraph, *Summer Reads of 2026*
User Reviews
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Details
- Author
- Michael Ondaatje
- Narrator
- Michael Ondaatje
- Duration
- 4 hours
- Release Date
- 12 March 2026
- ISBN
- 9781529982183
- Format
- Audiobook
- Publisher
- Random House
- Genre
- Poetry / poems by individual poets, Modern and contemporary poetry / poems, Narrative theme: sense of place, Narrative theme: love / relationships
Synopsis
Brought to you by Penguin.From independence movements in Sri Lanka to train stations in contemporary Ontario, an intimate and witty selection of Michael Ondaatje’s most widely loved poems taken across fifty yearsThrough poems that grow out of his profound understanding of the subtle complexities of life and relationships, of how we lose and find ourselves, Michael Ondaatje navigates his own past, beginning with memories of his childhood in Sri Lanka and his eccentric family, to his life in rural southern Ontario with its beloved rivers, celebrations of treasured friends, the close ties of children.Ondaatje is one of the great poets of love, and here we follow him through the exhilarations of youth into that ‘storm of music’, the passionate, sensuous swerves of longing and desire, until we reach the calm of that moment when ‘only a cloud’s reflection holding you up / You swim into late afternoon’.The Distance of a Shout offers us a glimpse into the interwoven life and art of one of our most cherished poets and novelists – a reminder itself of the power of great poetry to shine a light on living.'My life always stops for a new book by Michael Ondaatje' JHUMPA LAHIRI'Each new book of Michael Ondaatje’s is a literary event, but that is particularly true for his books of poetry' TERRANCE HAYES© Michael Ondaatje 2026 (P) Penguin Audio 2026
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