BEDM: Favourite Poetry Collections

This year one of my goals was to start reading new things, such as non-fiction or poetry, things that i definitely was not reading before. About a year ago i embarked on a the journey which is poetry. I’ve always been a fan of John Cooper Clarke, his slightly sadistic and strange poems are great for a laugh or a listening to whilst writing. But i needed to expand my poetry horizons. I’ve found some collections that i absolutely love.

One by Sarah Crossan
One is probably my most obscure favourite poetry collection. I’m sure a lot of you are aware that this YA novel is written in prose, and is about conjoined twins, battling through high school and life together. It reads as a complete story, however each poem can be read and understood on its own. I absolutely adored this book and it will always be one of my favourite books of all time. I have so much respect for Sarah Crossan for writing this masterpiece.

Milk and Honey by Rupi Kaur
This is a recent read for me and i loved how powerful it was. It’s a collection of poems about feminism, relationships and everything that surrounds those topics. I adored it and found it to be a very inspiring read. Some of it was better than others, however some of the poems in this i could easily have plastered over my walls.

Ten Years In An Open Necked Shirt by John Cooper Clarke
As previously mentioned, John Cooper Clarke is one of my favourite poets of all time. I find his work amusing and very true to where i’m from. He’s a fellow Manchester writer so it’s very fitting of my life. In case you weren’t aware, the Arctic Monkey’s song ‘I Wanna Be Yours’ was written originally by John Cooper Clarke and was developed in to a song by Alex Turner. I absolutely adore this collection with all his classic work in. If you want an amusing quick read, this is definitely it.

God Is A Manc by Mike Garry
I first found out about Mike Garry through John Cooper Clarke actually. He’s another Manchester writer and made me realise that i connect a lot more with poetry when it’s close to home. When a writer is writing about a place close to me i can really envision it. I adore God Is A Manc, it’s a little less amusing than Ten Years In An Open Necked Shirt, and focuses heavily on some more serious topics. Without a doubt every time i’ve seen Mike Garry perform live i’ve cried. He writes some very powerful pieces.

The Melancholgy Death of Oyster Boy & Other Stories by Tim Burton
This is a classic that i feel like everyone should read. I adore Tim Burton and when i stumbled across these stories a few years ago i fell completely in love with them. ‘Sue’ and ‘Stick Boy and Match Girl’ are just two favourites from the collection. This is a ridiculously quick read that’s fun and focuses on a lot of diversity in certain ways. I pick this up when i feel like i need a bit of comfort.

I hope this post has inspired you a little to pick up some more poetry and has given you an idea about what is out there. I’d definitely recommend these reads to absolutely anyone out there.

I hope you’re enjoying Blog Every Day May! We’re loving writing every day and feeling a lot more motivated to do so. Keep your eyes out for tomorrows post.