3. Catullus

A superb new translation of Catullus by Josephine Balmer is a vivid reminder that there’s nothing new about art’s ability to shock. In Poems of Love and Hate (Bloodaxe, £8.95), Lesbia’s gentle kisses jostle alongside a range of sexual activities that sound exhaustingly eclectic. Among the prostitutes and „bum-boys“ there are graphic images and descriptions that range from the scatological to the downright obscene. / Christina Patterson, Independent 5.3.04*)