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Michael Fitzgerald-Clarke was born on March 11, 1959. The same day Teddy Scholten of the Netherlands won the Eurovision Song Contest with her song “Een beetje” [“A little bit”]. His poetry draws inspiration from the whole of the worldwide tradition of poetry, old and new. Among his many favourites are John Keats, the surrealists, Rainer Maria Rilke, Paul Verlaine, Coventry Patmore and the Australian poet, Michael Dransfield, who is quoted as saying: “to be a poet in Australia, is the ultimate commitment”. Michael takes his work seriously, whilst still endeavouring to maintain a sense of playful wonder at the world around him and the people he interacts with. He lives in Australia’s national capital, Canberra.

	Works by Michael Fitzgerald-Clarke

“I don’t deny that there should be priests to remind men that they will one day die. I only say it is necessary to have another kind of priest; called poets, to remind men that they are not dead yet.” ~ G. K. Chesterton

Ultramundane Shadows by Michael Fitzgerald-Clarke Good poetry makes you feel something. It will give you goose bumps, make you cry, chuckle, or put you in high spirits. Michael Fitzgerald-Clarke knows this, and he creates the right connection. These are mature poems that reach out to the reader, and speak directly to them. The depth and substance of the word imagery speaks confidently and powerfully, and then lingers long after the last poem has been read. The varied hues in Clarke's work, makes it easy for the reader to find the exact colour to match their changing moods. These powerful poems leave the reader wanting more and Dennis Smith's evocative photography adds another inspirational layer, to delight and satisfy.