Our pick of the 10 best Philip Larkin poems and why you should read them

Trying to create a ‘top ten’ definitive list of Philip Larkin’s best poems is impossible, not least because each Larkin fan will come up with a slightly different list. However, we’ve tried our best to bring together some of Larkin’s most classic poems here. Whether you’re a devoted fan of the great man’s work, or seeking an introduction to a handful of his best poems, you should find something of interest here.

We’ve provided the year of composition for each poem rather than the date of publication; given that all but one of the poems in the list appeared in one of just three volumes of poetry (published in 1955, 1964, and 1974), and Larkin sometimes kept a poem for several years before publishing it, we figured that knowing when he wrote it (or, more…

Will the Master’s Tools Dismantle the Master’s House?

A new app that uses Amazon’s search function to find independent book stores hopes so.
Created to be easy to install and use right on your web browser, the app bookindy App, promotes independent book stores using the very site that is designed to put small book sellers out of business. The ingenious device, which installs directly to Chrome browsers, monitors your searches on Amazon and then finds the same book in local book shops. It even tells you how far you are from the nearest store and whether the book can be found for a lower price at a brick and mortar store.

The company’s slogan, “browse Amazon, buy independent” is designed to appeal to book lovers who are uncomfortable with Amazon’s practices of squeezing small publishers and shops out of the business. Whether buyers will be willing to give up…