Since its foundation in 1991, this popular independent anthology has published new work by some of the most prominent figures in contemporary verse, including Seamus Heaney, Carol Rumens, Paul Muldoon, Charles Tomlinson, Kathleen Raine, John Burnside, Peter Redgrove, Charles Simic and Pauline Stainer. It prides itself equally on the publication of excellent work by less familiar names.

The Tabla Book of New Verse 2004 sets the finest entries to the most recent Tabla Poetry Competition alongside new work by established authors and former contributors. Among those published in the latest book are Chris Agee, Matthew Caley, Anne-Marie Fyfe, Judy Gahagan, David Gravender, Andrew Johnston, Sinéad Morrissey and Pascale Petit.

The Tabla Book of New Verse superseded Tabla poetry magazine in 1998. The magazine was founded in 1991 by Stephen James and Emma Aylett. It was named after the traditional Indian drum-set which, with its ability to yield subtle variations of tone and timbre, offered the editors a metaphor for the kind of poem they hoped to hit upon. The logo represents the bowl-shaped and cylindrical drums of the tabla transformed into dancing typography.

Copies of the 2004 anthology are available for £6.00 (post-free). To order a copy, please use the purchase form on the Tabla website: http://www.bristol.ac.uk/tabla This is the final volume (at least for the foreseeable future). The Tabla Poetry Competition has also been suspended for an indefinite period.