NOTTINGHAM poet and playwright Campbell Kay is launching a new volume of poetry next week that he hopes will benefit Nottingham Arts Theatre, of which he is a trustee.

Devil's Wine is published on Monday and follows his two anthologies, Graffiti In a Narrow Room and The Waste Remains.

He says: "The poems look at love and life, loss and loneliness.

"We start in Old Market Square and there's a range of work in there.

"They are mostly of a distinct form, with rhythm and rhyme, and are accessible and intelligible.

"The work it will help support at Nottingham Arts Theatre includes the Nottingham Youth Theatre, adult education classes in arts and performance, the funding of a youth musical and our 'show in a week' project over the summer.

"We're also planning a series of theatre sessions for children aged five to seven years on Saturday mornings."

Campbell will also be sending copies of Devil's Wine to every school, college and library into Nottinghamshire.

He explains: "We had an anonymous grant which allowed this to happen and it means that cash- strapped libraries will benefit, as well as local schools."

Devil's Wine gets its name from a quotation from Francis Bacon's Advancement of Learning.

It goes on sale from Waterstone's in Bridlesmithgate, the Tourist Information Centre in Smithy Row under the Council House and from Nottingham Arts Theatre's box office in George Street.

It is priced at £7.99.