Speakeasy

by Ellie Cottrell

Speakeasy is the first collection of Perth poet, Ellie Cottrell . It is a sparkling work, presented in two Conceal and Reveal .

' Conceal ' groups poems of self-doubt, of longing, of regret. ' Reveal ' answers those poems in a celebration of love, lust, and the joy of life shared and explored. Although these poems are engagingly joyful and immediately appealing, they repay careful reading and re-reading. This short collection announces a wonderfully skilled new poet.

48 pages, Paperback

Published March 10, 2023

Reviews

[Jess Checkland · Rating 5 out of 5]

Speakeasy is an eloquent collection of poetry is presented in two parts: “Conceal” and “Reveal”. “Conceal” basks in nostalgia, longing and regret while “Reveal” delights in love, desire and life. Its power lies in its ability to soak each word in emotion and guide the reader to feel what lies between each line. It forces the reader to handle each line with care and gentle contemplation.

[Karen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Speakeasy by Ellie Cottrell is a pack-a-punch, emotion-filled short collection of poetry. Cottrell has a wonderful ability to pull you in her lived moments through words, metaphors and raw emotion.

This collection is split into two sections 'Conceal' which focuses on poetry filled with regret, loneliness, longing and the all too familiar self doubt which go hand in hand. The second section 'Reveal' is filled with the finer things in life, lust, love and everything good.

I thoroughly enjoyed the raw emotion and language that Cottrell writes with, it leaves you with no doubt how she felt in the moment and makes you feel it too.

I would absolutely recommend this collection to all poetry lovers

[Bernadette Olivier · Rating 4 out of 5]

Speakeasy is a compact but emotionally potent collection. It evokes both introspection - self-doubt, longing regreet and on the contrast, also love joy and the warmth of connection.

For reaers who enjoy emotionally honest poetry, this is a rewarding read!

[Melissa Domiati · Rating 5 out of 5]

A delicious debut collection of poetry!