Mick Imlah's death is a multiple loss to poetry

Mick Imlah, who has died at the age of 52, was one of those rare figures in British poetry: a truly literary protagonist. Part of a generation for whom it became fashionable to disavow literary seriousness – in CVs which instead drew attention to any other feature of the poet's life – Imlah, while popular and gregarious, committed his working life to very best practice. With his death we've lost not only a major poet but a major editor, too.

Before last year's publication of The Lost Leader, Imlah's only collection – with which he sprang to prominence as part of the New Generation Poets promotion – had been 1988's sparky, witty Birthmark. As always, when a poet of Imlah's seriousness emerges, this, his full-length debut, demonstrated accomplishment as much as promise. There followed 20 years in which a next collection was rumoured, but not released by its perfectionist author. As in the best stories, this wait was absolutely to pay off.