Wolfe's second collection, released to coincide with Black History Month in the United Kingdom (in October), embraces and embodies the voices and histories of people who demand to and deserve to be heard. Wolfe openly admits she cannot tell every story and can only write from what she knows but across this collection her words … Continue reading Review of A Mockingbird On Blackity Street, Tenae Wolfe
First published on Indie Blu(e) Publishing. I’m Not Dying With You Tonight by Kimberly Jones and Gilly Segal is Young Adult fiction with its finger keenly on the pulse of current affairs. Told through dual narrative, Jones and Segal collaborate to tell the story of one turbulent night shared and survived by Lena and Campbell. … Continue reading Review of I’m Not Dying With You Tonight, Kimberly Jones and Gilly Segal
First published on Reedsy Discovery. Beginning with ‘core’, Neutron Star by Kevin Charles Johnson II, focuses on identity, family, love and legacy. Johnson grounds his identity in his blackness and in the power of his spoken and written word. ‘Birthday’ is fantastically honest and shares with the reader who Johnson is. It is also a hallmark piece, … Continue reading Review of Neutron Star, Kevin Johnson
First published by honeyfire literary magazine. I think of his fists. Swallowing air and silent goodbyes; tiny screams of forgiveness. I think of how soft they first appeared - builder’s hands which knew when to crumble - until I remember the holes in the doors, splintered plasterboard left changed by furious winds; a sullen … Continue reading Holes left in open doors
First published on Emotional Alchemy Magazine. Thoughts pervade, on par with cymbal clatters and the dishes you’ve left for too many nights and the potato starch has attached itself, limb by limb, to the pan. One dream circles, once and round again. In the middle of a day - a daydream noon - I find … Continue reading Alice in the bath
This is Reynolds’ third chapbook and it is clear to see her writing gets better with every collection. I said this after reading Mislilac but the growth present in Another Day in Paradise is palpable. Reynolds’ work has always been raw, truthful and visceral but in this collection she interwove cutting intelligence, vulnerability and aching … Continue reading Review of Another Day in Paradise, H. M. Reynolds
I Write, Therefore I Am is the debut poetry collection from Alexis Mitchell and documents the journey she has been on since she was sixteen. Thus, as the collection progresses, Mitchell’s poetry develops; as a writer she finds a home in her words and it was a pleasure to witness this growth. Undeniably, Mitchell does … Continue reading Review of I Write, Therefore I Am, Alexis Mitchell
Konstantin by Tom Bullough is a moving and an evocative tale of ambition, adversity and the beauty of science. Spanning from his childhood to the birth of his first child, we follow Konstantin’s life and the moments which shaped him; which propelled his desire to unpick the seemingly impossible task of travelling into space. Bullough’s … Continue reading Review of Konstantin, Tom Bullough
Today, on Thursday, 1st October, (aptly National Poetry Day) Olivia Snowdrop celebrates the release of her debut poetry collection, Snowdrop: A Collection. Below is an interview with Olivia and there will be details about where you can buy the collection and follow Olivia, as well as a link to my advance review. KRISTIANA: Snowdrop: A … Continue reading An interview with Olivia Snowdrop
When I read a poetry collection I always look for honesty. I search for the raw and brutal truth which comes with being beautifully human and complex. Only a few ever meet this expectation for me. Too often, poets try to be clever and value style over substance. Too often, contemporary poetry collections focus on … Continue reading Advanced review of Snowdrop: A Collection by Olivia Snowdrop
