"To me, literature only works when freedoms of thought and expression are seen as essentials to liberty and life. That obviously isn't true in our culture where - at best - a crushing elite tolerates 'me speech' but not free speech.

Many have suffered at their hands. I fictionalise my own experiences in The Poetry of Gin and Tea. Those misappropriated drinks represent something we've lost, linking our predicament with prophecies from the greatest of 20th-century English writers: George Orwell.

He warned how this would happen, through control then destruction of our language. Supposedly done for 'progressive aims' but actually as displays of unchallengeable power, destroying our shared humanity and culture."

Paul Sutton

"I marvel at Paul Sutton's unique ability to confront the demons of our time and beat them at their own game - the game of words. His poetry is a subtle affront to the censorship around us. His speech is more than simply free."

Ewan Morrison