The Sun, the Moon & Ripe Cucumbers

 From the winner of the 2022 National Poetry Prize, Stuart Payne’s second collection showcases the 
growth of a bright, refined voice in South African poetry. His metrical, often rhyming style blends 
traditional poetic forms with modern rhythms, echoing patterns found in popular music. 
“Stuart Payne is a wordsmith of great skill. There is not a phrase nor a rhythm out of place. 
His subject range extends from the heavenly bodies to his eponymous cucumbers.”  – Geoff Haresnape
 “This is a carefully crafted, and generous collection, sensitive to the intricacies of  
everyday life and mindful of its transitory, often illusive, generally wondrous nature.” – Patricia Schonstein