Programme Launch and Book Launch: Dog Star by Michael Symmons Roberts

Hosted by Professor Andrew McMillan, this event marks the launch of Roberts’ poignant new poetry collection, Dog Star, and the paperback release of his non-fiction book, Quartet at the End of Time. Dog Star is a profound collection of linked poems that explore our increasingly turbulent relationship with nature, rooted in encounters with real and mythical life forms—from bacteria to chimeras. Hailed as an “outstanding writer” by the Sunday Times, Roberts sharpens his focus on the essential, and often broken, spiritual connection between humanity and the natural world. The evening promises an engaging discussion on a remarkable book by one of our major contemporary poets.

Michael Symmons Roberts’s latest nonfiction book, Quartet for the End of Time, was published in 2025, with his ninth poetry collection, Dog Star, arriving in early 2026. A multi-award?winning poet, his honors include the Whitbread, Costa, and Forward Prizes. His acclaimed libretti have earned RPS and Ivor Novello awards. Michael is Professor of Poetry at Manchester Metropolitan University and a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature.

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