“The Afterlife of Lumber”, from his collection Fire Diary (Puncher & Wattmann), sees Tredinnick infuse a relatively mundane act such as burning wood with a spiritual glow. The poet appears twice at the Scottish Poetry Library in April, first alongside fellow Australian Emily Ballou on 4 April, and then leading a workshop on 6 April exploring “poetry and place”. They should act as an appetiser for his new collection, Bluewren Cantos, published later this year. It smells like honey the boy says opening the door and breathing in what the furnace is breathing out. These offcuts I’m burning, I guess. Felled trees redeemed and lathed and felled again. Laid waste, they burn like saints. And though they smell like afternoon tea to a hungry boy, they smell like the sweet hereafter to me, late one day in winter. You can borrow Fire Diary from the Scottish Poetry Library, 5 Crichton’s Close, Edinburgh EH8 8DT. Tel: 0131-557-2876, e-mail reception@spl.org.uk or see www.spl.org.uk for details.