Showing titles in Themes & Styles

Following in the footsteps of such category killers as Milk and Honey and Whiskey Words & a Shovel I, Fariha Róisín's poetry book is a collection of her thoughts as a young, queer, Muslim femme navigating the difficulties of her intersectionality. Simultaneously, this compilation unpacks the contentious relationship that exists between Róisín and her mother, her platonic and romantic heartbreaks, and the cognitive dissonance felt as a result of being so divided among her broad spectrum of identities.

The Iliad and The Odyssey are epic poems traditionally attributed to Homer, of which the written versions are dated to the 8th century BCE. Chronicling events in the Greek Bronze Age, this magnificent pair of poems forms the cornerstone of Western literature. If The Iliad is a classic war story, The Odyssey is symbolic of the individual’s journey through life.

Kayo Chingonyi's remarkable second collection follows the course of a 'blood condition' as it finds its way to deeply personal grounds. From the banks of the Zambezi river to London and Leeds, these poems speak to how distance and time, nations and history can collapse within a body. With astonishing lyricism and musicality, this is a story of multiple inheritances—of grief and survival, renewal and the painful process of letting go—and a hymn to the people and places that run in our blood.

Penguin presents the audiobook edition of bone written and read by Yrsa Daley-Ward. Observer book of the year 2017. 'You will come away bruised. You will come away bruised but this will give you poetry.' Raw and stark, the poems in Yrsa Daley-Ward's breakthrough collection strip down her reflections on the heart, life, the inner self, coming of age, faith and loss to their essence. They resonate to the core of experience.

War poet Robin Horsfall became a soldier in 1972. He served from the age of 15 up to the age of 32 with the Parachute Regiment, the SAS, the Sultans of Oman’s Armed Forces, the Army of Sri Lanka and was a Major in "Frelimo" the Army of Mozambique. He studied Karate for most of his adult life achieving the rank of 6th Dan Black Belt until 2011 when a neck fracture changed his life.

The Unwinding is a pillow book, in the ancient tradition of Sei Shonagan. Designed to be a portal, a talisman, it invites listeners to enter its world, through word and image. In this exquisite, haunting audio version, Jackie Morris' dreamlike stories are narrated by Bethany Porter with a specially commissioned musical back track performed by The Bookshop Band, including two exclusive new songs: "The Binding" and "At the Edge Is Hope". It is an audiobook to relax and unwind to.

This first collection of poems is a celebration of the human experience and the complex relationship between the body and mind. With themes of anxiety, gratitude, womanhood, motherhood, outer expectations, and internal dialogue, I hope you find words that make you feel less alone.

If language is music, it is apt that a playlist is a poem. It makes even more sense in The Epic of Cader Idris, coming from Samatar Elmi, a poet whose concerns with the origins of things and the landscape of the margins are expressed in language so lyrical that you could almost miss its politics in its own music: "almost invisible, like the stencil of words / whispered at the front on a frosty morning," as he writes in [Etymologies].

Edward Lear's much-loved comic poem, featuring the most elegant fowl in literature and his beautiful feline friend, read by Jenny Agutter.

Rachel Long’s much anticipated debut collection of poems, My Darling from the Lions, announces the arrival of a thrilling new presence in poetry. Each poem has a vivid story to tell - of family quirks, the perils of dating, the grip of religion or sexual awakening - stories that are, by turn, emotionally insightful, politically conscious, wise, funny and outrageous.

In this book, I share some genuine and unfiltered words from my heart, so that my Muslim sisters around the world can know that their struggles are acknowledged, and valid. I delve into topics such as the impact of mental health, the influence of social media, the beauty of the hijab, seeking righteous companionship, finding a suitable spouse, striving for a flourishing community, and more.

A poetic portrait of faith, futility, and the joy of this mortal life. In this astoundingly unique audiobook, best-selling author N. D. Wilson reminds each of us that to truly live, we must recognize that we are dying. Every second we create more of our past. Then, we must see the future. We stand in the now. God says create. Live. Choose. Shape the past. Etch your life in stone, and what you make will be forever.

In this haunting poem, a guest on his way to a wedding reception is stopped by the Ancient Mariner. With his "glittering eye" he transfixes the guest and then relates a compelling tale of a sea voyage fraught with strange happenings. The Mariner tells of journeying through tyrannous storms to ice mast-high, through mist and snow to the deadly inertia of the doldrums. There are unearthly visitations, ill omens, and supernatural happenings - all leading to the revelation of the Mariner's strange fate.

Popular Instagram poet and bestselling author Morgan Harper Nichols reimagines the classic heroine's journey—from the very first call to adventure, through trials, hardships, and new relationships, all the way back home—and offers key lessons and affirmations to encourage and equip you every step of the way.

Achilles has quarrelled with Agamemnon and sulks in his tent while Hector brings his Trojans to the brink of victory; but fate will have the last word. While the heroes fight before the walls of Troy the gods have also drawn up battle lines, and it is their disagreements as much as the heroes' efforts which will decide the conflict. Despite the poem's antiquity, the very real, human qualities of the protagonists and their dilemmas make The Iliad immediately accessible.

The Sikh religion was founded by Guru Nanak (1469-1539), who drew upon the teachings of Muslim, Sufis, and Hindu Bhaktas. In its purest form Sikhism is about unity, simplicity, equality, and surrender (to God) and the verses of the Sikh Gurus - most of them included in the Granth Sahib - articulate this beautifully. This elegant edition contains a selection of verses from the Guru Granth Sahib and other sacred texts like Guru Tegh Bahadur’s Vairagmayi Bani and the Dasam Granth of Guru Gobind Singh.

Vinegar Hill explores the liminal space between private experiences and public events as Tóibín examines a wide range of subjects—politics, queer love, reflections on literary and artistic greats, living through COVID, memory and a fading past, and facing mortality. The poems reflect a life well-travelled and well-lived; from growing up in the town of Enniscorthy, wandering the streets of Dublin and Barcelona, and crossing the bridges of Venice to visiting the White House, listeners will travel through familiar locations and new destinations through Tóibín's unique lens.

The poem "Song of Myself" by Walt Whitman first appeared in his 1855 volume Leaves of Grass. "Song of Myself" is written in Whitman’s signature free verse style. The "I" of the narrator should not be confused with the person of the historical Walt Whitman, as the first-person persona is portrayed as having transcended the conventional boundaries of self. Most critics consider "Song of Myself" as the core of Whitman’s poetic vision, and it remains one of the most acclaimed of all American poems.

Beautifully composed and written by international best-selling author Lang Leav, this new collection of poetry and prose will positively influence your life.

In her devastatingly powerful debut collection, Cecilia Knapp examines the experience of motherlessness and its lasting impact, as well as the lessons passed between generations of women. These poems explore women's complicated relationship with their bodies, with sex, and with shame as she traverses the violence of romantic love, but also employs humour and mischief, a wry reclaiming of power.