Spotted today in Bert’s Books, Minx was snuggling between E.E. Cummings and T.S.Elliot. She couldn’t have been in better company. Of course, I signed her. @bertsbooks@penguinukbooks #chattoandwindus #writingfromthemargins #poetsofinsta #poetsandwriters @elise.dillsworth
Tonight I attended the Class of 2025 Penguin Debut Authors Celebration and it was amazing, surreal, dreamy and fantastic. I met illustrators and authors writing incredible work: outstanding cook books, murder mysteries, poetry memoirs, mythology retellings and more. I have never felt more excited for a project than this. I didn’t take enough pictures.
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#penguinbooks #penguin🐧 #penguinrandomhouse #murderinthedressingroom #hollystars #queerwriter #queerfiction #lgbtwriter #drag #dragbook #dragqueen #ukdrag #ukdragqueen #queerbookstagram #queerbooks
Look what treats Chatto poetry has in store for the coming year!
It’s been a joy working with these fabulous poets. I could not be more proud of this daring, resonant, beautiful set of books - I can’t wait to bring them to the world!
A few covers to whet your appetite in the meantime - aren’t they gorgeous?
Link to Bookseller piece in bio. #chattobooks #chattopoetry
Thank you to our audience, guest-poets and open micers alike; all of whom made our poetry lounge on Monday so very special. Our headline poets were Karen Downs-Barton and Rachael Clyne.
Firstly Karen read, and we enjoyed a pindrop reading of poignant and affecting poems,
from a gifted storyteller who knows how to use concrete detail, humour, and characterisation to powerful effect. Karen’s poems are full of musicality too, and there is a rich aural beauty alongside the wit and earthiness of the stories. An immersive and transportative joy.
Rachael Clyne read from her powerful, and empowering new book You’ll Never Be Anyone Else, Seren - a masterful and beautifully crafted collection which explores the themes of identity and acceptance in a vivid, innovative and sometimes explosive way, poetry which gave our audience, in Rachael’s own words, ‘an electric jolt’. Brilliant sets by two very significant contemporary poets.
And as ever we enjoyed a star studded open mic featuring some widely published and extremely talented poets.
If you have ever felt you don't belong, this book - and this event - is for you ! @rachael_clyne_508 reads from her explosive, affecting and ultimately empowering new collection at @Cheltenhampoetryfest on-line on Mon 31st July 2023
Scroll down for tickets !
Rachael reads from her new collection - Rachael Clyne’s You’ll Never Be Anyone Else, a book which demands that we think carefully about what it takes to reconcile being different. In it she advises the reader to ‘Stop drinking the poison / labelled “Hate me.” / It’s that simple. I didn’t say easy.’
Within these pages Clyne also has an alter-ego “Girl Golem” reminiscent of a superhero but based on the mythical man made from clay and spells to protect Jewish people from persecution. Through this empowering persona, Clyne opens up an exploration of Jewish and lesbian identity. Surveying attitudes in the present day and in the past, these poems explore migrant heritage, sexual identity, domestic violence and ageing.
You’ll Never Be Anyone Else offers a unique story of survival and empowerment told in spite of experiences of violence and prejudice – this from a poet who has spent a lifetime learning self-acceptance and, as a psychotherapist, helping others to do similar. Treating even dark subjects with playful wit and colourful imagery, Clyne is a distinctive new voice with a powerful message about self-acceptance.
Please join us to hear Rachael read with another astonishing poet - @downsbarton -
Tickets - copy and past the following link into your browser or visit cheltenhampoetryfestival.co.uk
/cheltenhampoetryfestival/rachael-clyne-and-karen-downs-barton-plus-open-mic/e-qpjkxz
Photos from our Writers' Award Showcase are in - exciting! 🤩
📷 Here are a few snaps of our poetry winners. Thanks to the brilliant @jesshand28 for capturing our winners so beautifully. Also featuring our guest judge, the brilliant @jtaylortrash & host @dorothykoomson_author
Exciting news! This year's Writers' Award anthologies have landed in the office 🙌🏾
How It Started features the winning pieces from our 2022 writing competition for all underrepresented writers.
Thanks to everyone who pre-ordered a copy 🙏 We'll be posting these out to you really soon.
Want to grab a copy? Check the link in our bio to place an order through our website.
