For many poets there comes a point in their careers when a Selected Poems seems a logical step. Their style is now established, their subject-matter is their own, and their greatest hits lend themselves to a succinct introduction to their career. But for WN Herbert, that was never what it was all about. The idea that he has had a career, let alone that it was 'about' anything, strikes him as extremely unlikely. Instead, he has always enjoyed the opportunity to head off in as many directions as possible. Usually at the same time.