In Villain, Justin Clemens invokes the spirit of infamous French poet, vagabond and thief François Villon, through his bold translation of Villon’s ballads, but also in his own new work, ranging from the violent and obscene to the lyrical and sublime —sometimes within a single verse. Villain unleashes a war of forms; perfect sonnets clash with mock haiku, heroic couplets and free verse, all directed towards capturing the contemporary world. Justin Clemens revives traditional poetic forms to produce a shocking and beautiful vision of modern day life. He teaches at the University of Melbourne.

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