'This is an outstanding debut collection with some exciting poetry. Here is a writer who deserves to reach a wider readership.'
Jim Bennett, Poetry Kit Book of the Month, 2010'He is a poet of astonishing clarity, sometimes to the point of initial discomfort or shock, but he's clever enough to know this will make his work memorable, and what will stay in the mind is both the clenched, chateau-fort style and the sensitivity it permits to seep through. Nobody writes quite like Ken Champion and his originality will make him endure. This seems to me like poetry that will never go out of fashion.'
Alan Dent, Editor, The Penniless Press, 2009'A wall photo of fin de siecle Paris like a black and / white Utrillo, winter trees edging the boulevard / narrowing to a fog of branches, a grey pulls a cab... "a grey pulls a cab" is beautifully inspired. Throughout this book Ken Champion shows his flair for painterly detail and filmic segues of images. His voice is sardonic. He is very much his own man without any trace of influence, a fully developed style written with such ease I suspect it has taken years to perfect. There is much honesty in his work and he doesn't shy away from primal episodes such as in the poem 'Dad' - there's deprivation and horror. He shares his interest in art, architecture and film, yet wears his references lightly. So much is from lived experience as the best writing is and articulated by a teasing imagination. This work is reflective of contemporary London and there are other international cities which he brings to life, and a darker side, a chiaroscuro that befits the title.'
Robert Cole, Chimera Magazine, 2008
'Ken's poems achieve the memorable resolution of a Robert Doisneau photograph and his subjects are unusual and arresting. In simple language he shapes a poem that is distinctly his own. Poetry with the genuine feel of inevitability.'
The Penniless Press, 2004'This is sassy, vibrant, streetwise poetry that cuts to the chase with verve and wit, fully engaged in the realities and surrealities of urban living, in the complexities of relationships… Acutely observed, these poems are sensually engaging and likeable, like spending an evening with a good friend over a bottle of crisp wine.'
The Frogmore Papers, 2005'…takes the reader on a roller coaster of experience. Personal favourites are the beautifully structured Partytime and the reflective Carpet… Cameo Poly features some true gems.'
The Ugly Tree, 2005
'A well-presented collection of breadth and thought showcasing the poet's range …Great stuff.'
The Ugly Tree, 2005'An evident wit and talent are found throughout the poems.'
Envoi, 2003'The romance introspective and blunt - the scenery lavish, explicit and stimulating.'
Krax, 2003
'A beautifully written and poignant story.'
Ronna Wineberg, Bellevue Literary Review, 2006
'In this story Ken Champion provides richly developed characters that contemplate their relationship to Christ, to culture, and to each other. His character, Steve, develops a relatioship with a younger, African student, Thandi Mnede. Even when these characters are together, they are worlds apart, Steve's sense of isolation deriving from his intellectualized disbelief in faith.'
Monica K Mankin, The Literary Magazine Review, University of Wisconsin, 2006
'I found some beautiful writing here.'
Susie Reynolds, Chimera Magazine, 2006