Book of the Month: The Empire of Forgetting by John Burnside

This September, we are honoured to be able to offer you the chance to win a copy of The Empire of Forgetting by the late John Burnside, thanks to our friends at Jonathan Cape. This is a powerful posthumous collection from one of Scotland’s greatest contemporary poets.

Be in with the chance of winning a copy by answering the question at the bottom of this page by 11.59pm on 30 September 2025.

All entrants must reside in the UK and full terms and conditions apply. Check out our competitions page to find more giveaways.

About The Empire of Forgetting by John Burnside

A powerful exploration of life and death, illness and grace, wonder and beauty, John Burnside’s last collection of new poems gathers around a single theme – mortality – and draws on his faltering health and earlier glances with death, creating a powerfully moving exploration of memory, forgetting and the seven ages.