Lucent Dreaming Ltd. Dominoes.

by Connor Allen

Delving into his life and experiences of love, loss, growing up mixed-race in Newport, and more, this is the debut poetry collection from award-winning multidisciplinary artist and Children's Laureate Wales Connor Allen.

Genres: Poetry

106 pages, Paperback

Published April 1, 2023

Reviews

[Theo Smaller · Rating 3 out of 5]

Dominoes walks the fine line between accessible and bland that so many poetry collections seem familiar with. I certainly would attest to the idea that digestible, easy to read poetry is a key aspect of the art. It acts as an entry point for so many readers, and even ignoring that, it is a style of its own.

However, accessible should not mean without interesting images, without craft, and that is something that a few of the poems in this collection do seem to lack. There’s a lack of nuance which could work in Allen’s favour if it weren’t for the utter simplicity of his language at times.

I probably sound like I hate this collection, but I don’t. The reason I seem so frustrated, in fact, is because the subject material Allen is dealing with has so much potential. The glimpses into his childhood as a black man in Britain have hints of colonial critique, analysis of prejudice, and pride in heritage, that are never allowed to fully blossom. There are a good few poems, such as ‘This Great Britain’ and ‘Colourless’ that very effectively portray unique and developed viewpoints on their topics, but this only makes the lacklustre tone of other poems more frustrating.

Overall, I did enjoy this collection, but there is room for improvement. This is Allen’s debut collection, and I am eager to see his poetic voice grow more defined. I truly hope he keeps writing because there is a clear passion and character in his work.

[Helen Corton · Rating 5 out of 5]

I shouldn’t really have related to this as much as I did. I am not mixed race and my father, rest in peace dad, was there with me until illness took him. I don’t have male problems or come from a council estate or even have that much experience of rap music. But pain is pain and when you feel it honestly you connect regardless. Connection matters when you feel alone, magic happens when you read something you could have written yourself. This is such a readable and honest collection, I loved reading it in my voice and then spoken aloud by the author, a duel joy. I love poetry that’s accessible and this collection definitely is.