The Empire of Forgetting by John Burnside
The Empire of Forgetting is John Burnside’s posthumous collection of new poems, centred on mortality, memory and forgetting. The listing describes poems informed by the poet’s faltering health and attention to the natural world, in a compact 64-page English-language edition.
At a glance
- A posthumous collection of new poems by John Burnside.
- Centres on mortality, memory, forgetting and the stages of life.
- The listing also describes attention to the natural world and themes of wonder and grace.
Often bought together
Pros and cons
Pros
- A clearly defined thematic focus makes it suited to readers interested in reflective poetry about mortality and memory.
- The 64-page length offers a compact collection rather than a long-form book.
Technical specifications
9 specifications| Author | John Burnside |
|---|---|
| Publisher | Jonathan Cape |
| Publication date | 7 Aug. 2025 |
| Language | English |
| Print length | 64 pages |
| Weight listed | 86 g |
|---|---|
| Dimensions | 13.1 x 0.6 x 19.7 cm |
| ISBN-10 | 1787334554 |
|---|---|
| ISBN-13 | 978-1787334557 |
What to know before buying
- The listing presents this as Burnside’s last collection of new poems, with mortality and the natural world as central themes. It is a brief 64-page collection, so readers seeking a substantial volume of poetry may prefer a longer book.
Who is it for?
A good fit for
- Readers of John Burnside and contemporary poetry.
- Those interested in poetry about mortality, memory, illness and the natural world.
- Readers seeking a short, focused poetry collection.
Less suited to
- Readers looking primarily for a long poetry collection or a book outside reflective, mortality-focused themes.
Customer reviews on Amazon
- 5 stars
80% 80% - 4 stars
10% 10% - 3 stars
10% 10% - 2 stars
0% 0% - 1 star
0% 0%
Aggregate ratings are mostly five-star, with some four- and three-star ratings. This suggests a generally favourable but not unanimous reception, though the ratings alone do not show which poems readers liked or why. The listing identifies a short collection with focused themes, but the rating data cannot establish how readers respond to that content.
Frequently asked questions
What is The Empire of Forgetting about?
The listing describes a posthumous collection focused on mortality, memory, forgetting and the natural world.
How long is the book?
The listing gives a print length of 64 pages.
Who published this edition?
The listed publisher is Jonathan Cape.
Alternative options
Shadow & Storms
£21.99
Threshing Day (Standard Edition): Return to the Empyrean world with thirteen stories starring your favourite Fourth Wing characters.
£11.00
Déjà Vu: Has Everything Already Been?
£15.99
The Dust of Stars: Engineering Infinity
£3.63
Lying Eyes
£10.63
Vows & Ruins: An epic romantic fantasy: 2 (The Legends of Thezmarr)
£21.99
Unpacking AI - Why Artificial Intelligence Matters: Your Practical Introduction and Roadmap to Leveraging AI Ethically in Everyday Life and Career ... Pioneering the Future Together)
£14.95
The Poems of Seamus Heaney
£32.05
The Music of Time: Poetry in the Twentieth Century
£12.29
A Lie About My Father (Burnside Biographies)
£9.99
Driftwork: Selected Poems
£13.05
