Bi+ Lines: An Anthology of Contemporary Bi+ Poetry

by Helen Bowell (Editor), Freya Bantiff, Davina Bacon

The first-ever anthology of poems written by those who identify under the bi+ umbrella, Bi+ Lines is an engrossing, exciting, and often moving title gathering bi+ poets from across the globe.

Edited by award winning poet Helen Bowell, the anthology collects new poems by more than 40 poets, ranging from those well-known to brand new voices.

Themed around the idea of in-betweenness, these poems look at love and acceptance, at biphobia and belonging, at families and trust, and at how we can use poetry to express our desires, fears, and hopes. With new work from poets including Troy Cabida, Jen Campbell, Golnoosh Nourpanah, Shivanee Ramlochan, Jake Wild Hall and more, Bi+ Lines offers an insight into diverse stories that are often erased.

Genres: Poetry, Queer, LGBT

72 pages, Paperback

First published October 1, 2023

Reviews

[Salomée Lou · Rating 5 out of 5]

The book I've been needing to read my entire life. So grateful for all the contributors in this anthology and for this project. I hope there will be more and that it will grow and grow and grow. Love you bi+ babies 🩷💜💙

[M]

I really liked some of the poems, and others I found interesting. It’s a pretty diverse anthology thematically and honestly I am really curious how the selection was made, as in the intro it’s said hundreds of poems were sent in. And yet it’s only 72 pages! I would have imagined a tome of bisexuality. I read it quite quickly at a friend’s house so I don’t have many notes, except that I’d recommend it, overall.

[Gabriela Oprea · Rating 5 out of 5]

the last poem was just what I needed 🌸

[safacake · Rating 5 out of 5]

what a gorgeous gorgeous, important collection of poetry! I’ve been slowly dipping in and out of this anthology for months cause I didn’t want it to end!

if you’ve not read this already, go get it now!! I have so so many favourites I kept revisiting and I know I’ll continue to revisit them for years to come 💓

🦋 What Schrodinger’s Cat and My Bisexuality Have in Common - Freya Bantiff
🦋 Chopping Wood - Jake Wild Hall
🦋 poor kid, rich town - Chloe Henney
🦋 On Your Birthday - Nasim Rebecca Asl
🦋 Coast | - Ilisha Thiru Purcell
🦋 Bi-erasure poem - Astra Papachristodoulou
🦋 Wedding Season - Hetty Cliss
🦋 Why I Can’t Piss Standing Next to Other Men - Isaac Ginsberg Miller
🦋 Matikoor - Shivanee Ramlochan
🦋 Toothbrush - Beth Harrison
🦋 Before We Kiss - Carmina Masoliver
🦋 While the Rest of Us Get History, Queer Girls Get Fables - Holly Moberley

[Angélique (Angel) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Diverse, evocative, beautiful, and brave, these poems slunk under my skin in the best ways and inhabited me just as I inhabited them. They resonated with me in both technical and experiential ways and inspired me to share them almost immediately after I closed the book. The greatest gift, however, of this well-crafted collection was the hope it provided for my own bi+ lines. Nothing I have read since I found my way back to writing poetry semi-consistently has nurtured my hope that there is a literary space for my poems the way this anthology did. This work felt made for me in ways I wasn't even prepared for, and for that, I will be forever grateful.

[kibreads · Rating 4 out of 5]

really enjoyed this collection. as with all poetry some you feel in your soul and some you appreciate for the writing, and this collection had both. would definitely recommend!!

[Anna Crosland · Rating 5 out of 5]

I felt really connected to the writing and themes in the anthology, especially thinking about in-betweenness and fluidity. As mentioned in the introduction, bisexuality is often considered a ‘stopping point’ and there is a constant expectation to ‘pick a side’ and this is a pressure felt from within the LGBTQ+ community and from the heterosexual community too. The concept of masking our ‘queerness’ is something that is important to query (“queery”) and rebel against as being bi+ is a full and well-rounded existence and identity within itself.

It feels important for bi+ people to carve out space and community for ourselves within the established LGBTQ+ spaces in a way where biphobia can be fought against so that we don’t feel dismissed, invalidated and unwelcome by other queer identities.

It felt refreshing to be visible through the imagery and poets’ own experiences and the collection has inspired me to keep exploring and writing about my own sexuality.

[iina · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this so much! Feeling so seen.

[Martyna · Rating 5 out of 5]

cudowne, niesamowicie podobały mi się "toothbrush" I "passages". kocham wiersze o szczęśliwej queerowej miłości, a tu było ich sporo i były wszystkie wspaniałe.

[Morgan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this collection, from the introduction by editor Helen Bowell I could sense this was something special. Highlights for me were works by Freya Bantiff, Chloe Henney, Nasim Rebecca Asl, Viv Kemp, Fadairo Tesleem, Ilisha Thiru Purcell, Beth Harrison and Jane Flett. Superb work by all.

[Johanna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Some of these poems went beyond me; others skewered me