'Any serious attempt to try to do something worthwhile is ritualistic.' Derek Walcott

The theme for this month's New Writing focus is rituals; the various ways that we observe the customs, traditions and protocols of our culture. These can be informal events, such as the enigmatic Khan, in James Lasdun's powerful story, who visits the same jeweller each time he buys a gift for a new partner, or they can be the more traditional rites, such as birthdays, funerals, divorces and seasonal changes that feature in the poetry of Carrie Etter, Chenjerai Hove and Paul Perry.

In James Lasdun's powerful short story, 'Peter Khan's Third Wife', he has created an enigmatic and intriguing character who uses jewellery and a particular shop assistant as a way of marking a new relationship. In his author interview, Lasdun says of his story, 'I was using the jewels to try to get at an idea of the strange realm of existence in which these two characters connect.'

Carrie Etter's moving poem 'Divorce' explores the shared territory that remains between a couple when their lives move in new directions. The power to hurt, the lingering memories, the pride and the mixed emotions combine to paint a powerful picture of changing relationships.

 'Counting the Nights' is Chenjerai Hove's melancholy meditation on loss and grief, emphasised by the significance of birth and death and the associated ceremonies of birthdays and funerals.

In his tender poem, 'Wintering', Paul Perry explores the inevitability of the changing seasons. Using the rich ornate dreams of orchids as a powerful image, the poem identifies the shared experiences between human existence and the dynamic cycle of nature.

Carrie Etter

Originally from Normal, Illinois, Carrie Etter moved to England in 2001 where she teaches as an Associate Lecturer in Creative Writing at Bath Spa University. Her poems have appeared in The Forward Book of Poetry 2005, The Liberal, The New Republic, Poetry Review, The Times Literary Supplement and other journals and anthologies in the UK and the US.

Photograph: Matt Bryden

Chenjerai Hove

Chenjerai Hove was born near the mining town of Zvishavane in southern Zimbabwe in 1956. He trained and worked as a high school teacher while studying privately with the University of South Africa. Later he studied literature and linguistics at the University of Zimbabwe. Hove's publications include five poetry collections, four novels, and two journalistic books of essays. His novel Bones won the 1988 Zimbabwe Literary Award and the 1989 Noma Award for Publishing in Africa. He is currently the Resident Writer for the city of Stavanger, Norway.

Photograph:Chenjerai Hove

Paul Perry

Paul Perry is the author of two critically acclaimed collections of poetry, The Drowning of the Saints (2003) and Wintering (Dedalus Press, 2006). He was a James Michener Fellow of Creative Writing at the University of Miami, and a C. Glenn Cambor Fellow of Poetry at the University of Houston and his work has appeared in numerous publications, including Poetry Ireland Review, Cyphers, TLS and The Best American Poetry 2000. Currently, he is Writer in Residence for the University of Ulster.

Photograph: Paul Perry

James Lasdun

James Lasdun was born in London and now lives in Woodstock, New York. He has published several books of poetry and fiction, including Besieged (selected stories), of which the title story was made into a film by Bernardo Bertolucci. His latest book is Seven Lies: A Novel.

Photograph: Nina Subin

Illustration © Maurizio Marmorato