The Guest Room, Diana Hendrys new collection of poems, continues her always perceptive explorations of family, childhood and finding oneself, encounters with people (whether neighbours or strangers) and animals (pets or otherwise). Added to this is her embracing of Seamus Heaneys notion of poetry paying attention to the world, here including climate change, coronavirus, political prisoners, Palestine and the health service, for example never preachy, telling it slant.Theres pleasure to be found throughout, in her craft and characteristic wry humour and in what U.A.Fanthorpe called her remarkable eye for the truth and an ability to see the otherness in the ordinary.