Ian Duhig Poetry

Ian Duhig is a British poet who was born in 1954. Throughout this life, he’s written for Poetry London, The Irish Times, and more. He’s also worked in the music industry, written for radio and stage. He has won many awards for his work, including the Forward Single Poem Prize and the National Poetry Competition.

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The Lammas Hireling

A farmer’s eerie encounter with a warlock-hireling during Lammas harvest unfolds in Ian Duhig’s award-winning ‘The Lammas Hireling’.

Ian Duhig’s poem ‘The Lammas Hireling’ is one of his most well-known works. It tells a strange and unsettling story using a voice that feels personal yet mysterious. The poem blends old beliefs and dark storytelling in a way that sticks with the reader. While Duhig has written many poems, this one stands out for its strong impact, original structure, and how it keeps readers questioning what is real and what isn’t.

After the fair, I’d still a light heart

and a heavy purse, he struck so cheap.

And cattle doted on him: in his time

mine only dropped heifers, fat as cream.

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