Reasons to be Cheerful is a breathtaking second collection in which Melville Lovatt captures the pulse of contemporary life, weaving together Voices that challenge, console and will sometimes make you laugh. This anthology provides a doorway into human situations and emotions. Whether you are a lifelong lover of poetry or newly discovering its magic, this collection is a must-read. BARBARA TOWELL. Author and Poet. Melville Lovatt produces a rich variety of writing and I have greatly enjoyed both reading and listening to it. He writes in a way which combines humour, ultra keen observation, with unfailing precision and great poignancy. He is very much a poet of our times. A poet to watch out for. Make a note of his name. JAN REES. Author and Poet. Melville Lovatt was born in Bolton in 1948 and is an award-winning playwright, monologue writer and poet. His work has been widely performed in smaller theatres throughout London. A number of his plays have won awards: ‘The Powers That Be’ won The Sussex Playwrights Club 1st Prize for best full-length play. ‘Small Mercies,’ a full-length play, won The Jack Longford Memorial Award and the Derek Lomas Memorial Award. His two one-act plays, ‘The Grave’ and ‘The Kiss’ were short-listed for the Diane Raffle Award. Two monologues from his 16-monologue collection, ‘Standing Alone,’ won The National Operatic & Dramatic Association Region Performance Showcase Award in June 2018. He is a six times winner of The Harrow Times Poetry Competition. Reasons to be Cheerful is his second poetry collection to be published. His first collection, Dancing for England, was published to wide acclaim in 2022.