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Cherry Pie
Cherry Pie is the new collection from Arts Foundation Award winner Hollie Poetry, inspired by her grandparents’ advice on newspapers, war, sex and tinned cherries. The poems collected in Cherry Pie hold personal meaning for Hollie and are also those which have been most requested by audiences in theatres, pubs, festival tents, schools and youth clubs up and down the UK. The book is illustrated by some of Hollie’s favourite artists and illustrators.
Cherry Pie includes Hollie’s poem Mathematics (1.9 million hits on YouTube) as well as Bungalows and Biscuits which was shortlisted for Best Factual New Media Content About Older People’s Issues in the Older People in Media Awards. Her poetry has received over 3.5 million YouTube views; more than David Cameron’s speeches, less than a cat dancing to 80’s pop music.
Cherry Pie includes Hollie’s poem Mathematics (1.9 million hits on YouTube) as well as Bungalows and Biscuits which was shortlisted for Best Factual New Media Content About Older People’s Issues in the Older People in Media Awards. Her poetry has received over 3.5 million YouTube views; more than David Cameron’s speeches, less than a cat dancing to 80’s pop music.
93 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2015
8 people are currently reading
619 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 33 reviews
June 24, 2021
Ok, so I may be slightly addicted to Hollie's poetry, I discovered her work with the release of Slug and on enjoying what I was reading, I went out and bought some back catalogue.
This was a mix of poems about old age, growing up and family. I especially liked the poems about her grandparents and I felt these were especially poignant at a time when we cannot easily see loved ones.
I liked the illustrations throughout and I would definitely recommend for a good introduction to Hollie's work.
This was a mix of poems about old age, growing up and family. I especially liked the poems about her grandparents and I felt these were especially poignant at a time when we cannot easily see loved ones.
I liked the illustrations throughout and I would definitely recommend for a good introduction to Hollie's work.
July 25, 2017
About:
Cherry Pie is a poetry collection that was written by Hollie McNish and published in 2015. Hollie McNish is a spoken word poet and these poems are largely full of social commentary and social criticisms with some personal poems mixed in. The collection also is included with pictures from various artists which adds a wonderful extra element to the collection.
Did I Like it?:
Yes I did! I’ll start off by saying that I felt like this wasn’t marketed properly. It was marketed as a series of poems that were inspired by Hollie’s grandparents' advice. There were a couple poems in the beginning that were like that, but the bulk of the collection was not that at all. It was mostly a lot of social criticism and commentary along with some personal stuff. I really liked that that’s what it turned out to be however. I felt like she talked about a wide variety of important things that are affecting our modern day society such as feminist topics, problems with the media, our aversion towards aging, racism/immigration issues etc. Her writing wasn’t exactly the best poetry writing i’ve read however. She is a spoken word poet though and once I watched her performances I really appreciated her writing style. I just don’t think it translates as well to the written word. I also really enjoyed all the artwork that was included, it really added to the poems and the collection as a whole. There were some kinda fun, creative things thrown in that I liked as well, like a couple recipes, a coloring page and a poem turned into a comic. The whole collection wasn’t like that, but it broke up the seriousness a bit to have that interspersed. Overall I quite enjoyed this collection, it was a good poetry read!
Favorite Poems:
Cupcakes and Scones was my first favorite poem in this collection. In that poem Hollie talks about how our culture wants females to stay little girls forever, glamorizing school girl outfits and little girly food. It is a part of the feminism discussion that I haven’t personally seen brought up before and I found it to be a good point. Headache was another poem I liked. Humans was good. That was about winter and how humans ignore their animal nature or the cycles of the seasons, again just a really good point I haven’t thought about. Marks Out of Ten was good. It was about all the scars and marks on her body and how they show all the life events she has gone through. A lovely viewpoint on a certain aspect of body image. Reverse was another good feminist poem. It was about reversing things in the media that are done to women and having them done to men instead. Not exactly a unique topic, but I liked her take on it better than other things I’ve read. Spin was a nostalgic poem that was a little more personal about Hollie’s teenage years and I quite liked it. Touch was probably my absolute favorite poem in this collection. It was about love and sex and how we have gotten away from the realness of touch, affection and sexuality and how porn and our technological culture is driving us away from very real human connection. This poem was very powerful and really struck a chord in me. It was something I feel very deeply about and was glad to see it turned into a poem that explained my thoughts and feelings. Overall I’d say that the poems I liked were because of the subject matter and the points Hollie brought up, which were really fantastic. As far as the art work goes, the tiny little poem called The Moon had an absolutely gorgeous picture accompanying it.
Do I Recommend This?:
Yes! This would be a good collection if you are new to poetry because it is easy to understand. If you like spoken poetry this is a good one too. You can watch her performances and read the book as well. I feel like that’s important to do or you won’t appreciate the writing as much and think it’s more mediocre than it is. Also, if you like poems that deal with some social issues this is a good one to pick up.
Cherry Pie is a poetry collection that was written by Hollie McNish and published in 2015. Hollie McNish is a spoken word poet and these poems are largely full of social commentary and social criticisms with some personal poems mixed in. The collection also is included with pictures from various artists which adds a wonderful extra element to the collection.
Did I Like it?:
Yes I did! I’ll start off by saying that I felt like this wasn’t marketed properly. It was marketed as a series of poems that were inspired by Hollie’s grandparents' advice. There were a couple poems in the beginning that were like that, but the bulk of the collection was not that at all. It was mostly a lot of social criticism and commentary along with some personal stuff. I really liked that that’s what it turned out to be however. I felt like she talked about a wide variety of important things that are affecting our modern day society such as feminist topics, problems with the media, our aversion towards aging, racism/immigration issues etc. Her writing wasn’t exactly the best poetry writing i’ve read however. She is a spoken word poet though and once I watched her performances I really appreciated her writing style. I just don’t think it translates as well to the written word. I also really enjoyed all the artwork that was included, it really added to the poems and the collection as a whole. There were some kinda fun, creative things thrown in that I liked as well, like a couple recipes, a coloring page and a poem turned into a comic. The whole collection wasn’t like that, but it broke up the seriousness a bit to have that interspersed. Overall I quite enjoyed this collection, it was a good poetry read!
Favorite Poems:
Cupcakes and Scones was my first favorite poem in this collection. In that poem Hollie talks about how our culture wants females to stay little girls forever, glamorizing school girl outfits and little girly food. It is a part of the feminism discussion that I haven’t personally seen brought up before and I found it to be a good point. Headache was another poem I liked. Humans was good. That was about winter and how humans ignore their animal nature or the cycles of the seasons, again just a really good point I haven’t thought about. Marks Out of Ten was good. It was about all the scars and marks on her body and how they show all the life events she has gone through. A lovely viewpoint on a certain aspect of body image. Reverse was another good feminist poem. It was about reversing things in the media that are done to women and having them done to men instead. Not exactly a unique topic, but I liked her take on it better than other things I’ve read. Spin was a nostalgic poem that was a little more personal about Hollie’s teenage years and I quite liked it. Touch was probably my absolute favorite poem in this collection. It was about love and sex and how we have gotten away from the realness of touch, affection and sexuality and how porn and our technological culture is driving us away from very real human connection. This poem was very powerful and really struck a chord in me. It was something I feel very deeply about and was glad to see it turned into a poem that explained my thoughts and feelings. Overall I’d say that the poems I liked were because of the subject matter and the points Hollie brought up, which were really fantastic. As far as the art work goes, the tiny little poem called The Moon had an absolutely gorgeous picture accompanying it.
Do I Recommend This?:
Yes! This would be a good collection if you are new to poetry because it is easy to understand. If you like spoken poetry this is a good one too. You can watch her performances and read the book as well. I feel like that’s important to do or you won’t appreciate the writing as much and think it’s more mediocre than it is. Also, if you like poems that deal with some social issues this is a good one to pick up.
June 12, 2023
I’m going on a bit of a Hollie McNish binge-read. This is one of her earlier books and i loved it just as much as Slug. Favourite poems were Biscuits and Bungalows, Tinkerbell and Ten English Gentleman, and I also loved that this book was interspersed with illustrations and cartoons.
Her writing about her Grandmas always makes me feel very nostalgic for my own Nan and Grandad.
Moving on to ‘Plum’ next!
Her writing about her Grandmas always makes me feel very nostalgic for my own Nan and Grandad.
Moving on to ‘Plum’ next!
November 8, 2019
Actual rating 3,5
How British can you get in a poetry collection?
(This much, apparently.)
Enjoyed it and made me miss my grandparents, both here and the ones in England. (Yeah, the poems including her nans were my faves.)
So much love poured into this work, including all the various illustrations, a proper little delight on a rainy Friday afternoon.
How British can you get in a poetry collection?
(This much, apparently.)
Enjoyed it and made me miss my grandparents, both here and the ones in England. (Yeah, the poems including her nans were my faves.)
So much love poured into this work, including all the various illustrations, a proper little delight on a rainy Friday afternoon.
January 21, 2023
My only criticism is that it's too short! Adore Holly McNish's poetry.
November 19, 2021
I loved this collection of poems. Reading the grandparent poems made my heart ache missing my Scottish Gran.
December 19, 2023
* 4.5/5 stars
personal faves: cherry pie, dear london, moon, ocean floor
personal faves: cherry pie, dear london, moon, ocean floor
November 8, 2016
This was my introduction to slam poetry. Simply written but quite thought provoking. My favourites among the poems are - Clubbing, Spin, and Ten English Gentlemen
May 14, 2017
I should preface this review by saying I do not read a lot of poetry, in fact I haven't read any since leaving school, but on my way home from work one day I heard Hollie reading the title poem on a repeat broadcast of an Irish radio show, and immediately I felt like this was something I "got" , and I needed to hear more.
So off I went to my local library and requested a copy of the book. A couple of weeks later I took it home, opened it up and realised the mistake I had made. This was not a book I should have borrowed, this was a book I need to buy, to have on my shelf, to be able to pick up and delve into whenever the mood strikes.
The beauty, rhythm, passion and power in the poems in this book simply blew me away, and just like hearing the first one on the radio, I felt a real connection to many of them. Part of this may be due to my close relationship with my grandparents growing up, but I felt, as I read the poems, that this could have been my experience, these could be my words, though I could never express myself so aptly and so well.
I already know I will be looking for more of Hollie's books, but for now some of my favorites from this one are:
Bungalows and biscuit tins, Cherry Pie, Clubbing ( a poem everyone should read ), Cupcakes and Scones and Reverse.
So off I went to my local library and requested a copy of the book. A couple of weeks later I took it home, opened it up and realised the mistake I had made. This was not a book I should have borrowed, this was a book I need to buy, to have on my shelf, to be able to pick up and delve into whenever the mood strikes.
The beauty, rhythm, passion and power in the poems in this book simply blew me away, and just like hearing the first one on the radio, I felt a real connection to many of them. Part of this may be due to my close relationship with my grandparents growing up, but I felt, as I read the poems, that this could have been my experience, these could be my words, though I could never express myself so aptly and so well.
I already know I will be looking for more of Hollie's books, but for now some of my favorites from this one are:
Bungalows and biscuit tins, Cherry Pie, Clubbing ( a poem everyone should read ), Cupcakes and Scones and Reverse.
December 27, 2021
I first discovered Hollie McNish when a post of her reading her poetry popped up on Instagram. I remember really loving poetry at school, particularly in sixth form. I bought this on a whim in a cute bookshop in Nottingham to give some of her poetry a go.
This collection was lovely and so varied. I really loved the poetry about prejudice, racism and xenophobia. I have found some of the poems very memorable and I will probably look back on them at some point. The illustrations in this book are also lovely. 📚
Anyway, I asked for (and recieved) Slug for Christmas and I'm looking forward to that. Its nice to have a poetry book to dip in and out of, alongside a novel. I would 100% recommend this book and I'm glad that it's the anthology that reignited my love for poetry 🥰
I was torn between 4 and 4 stars but given all of the above it's 5 stars from me! 🌟
This collection was lovely and so varied. I really loved the poetry about prejudice, racism and xenophobia. I have found some of the poems very memorable and I will probably look back on them at some point. The illustrations in this book are also lovely. 📚
Anyway, I asked for (and recieved) Slug for Christmas and I'm looking forward to that. Its nice to have a poetry book to dip in and out of, alongside a novel. I would 100% recommend this book and I'm glad that it's the anthology that reignited my love for poetry 🥰
I was torn between 4 and 4 stars but given all of the above it's 5 stars from me! 🌟
December 18, 2019
"i think it's harder growing up now
now that developing is so cheap"
When I went to my Book Spa back in 2016, I told them I was interested in reading some poetry, since it's something I know nothing about. This was one of the poetry books chosen for me, and I'm glad it was. I think I might be around the same age as Hollie McNish as I had similar memories to her, like of having it get photos developed of holidays when we were young - no digital yet. There were some fun illustrations with the poems and, unexpectedly, recipes! There was clever things done with the text - it turned in a circle, or stretched right to the edge of the page then turned 90° and continued along the edge. This is not a boring old poetry book. :)
now that developing is so cheap"
When I went to my Book Spa back in 2016, I told them I was interested in reading some poetry, since it's something I know nothing about. This was one of the poetry books chosen for me, and I'm glad it was. I think I might be around the same age as Hollie McNish as I had similar memories to her, like of having it get photos developed of holidays when we were young - no digital yet. There were some fun illustrations with the poems and, unexpectedly, recipes! There was clever things done with the text - it turned in a circle, or stretched right to the edge of the page then turned 90° and continued along the edge. This is not a boring old poetry book. :)
January 3, 2022
This is my first proper poetry book I have read and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I think my favourite has to be 'Humans', which is takes an interesting angle on work culture from an animal's perspective. The poems largely had a political drive behind them and I thought there was a lot of interesting insights to be found here. I liked the illustrations used throughout, I think there was just the right amount to make it fun but not gimmicky. The addition of space to write your own poem, and to colour in Feminist Tinkerbell (lol!) makes it much more engaging than I expected. I loved being able to dip in and out of this wonderful prose and never know what to expect. I will definitely read more poetry like this in the future.
March 29, 2020
I loved this: poetry but not poncy, great, carries a message not from the 18th century.
Almost definitely going to be one of my favourite things I read this year. The art work is beautiful, the poems about life, being a woman, being the not-posh kid in posh places. Perfection.
I bought this after getting a ticket to see Hollie in Glasgow, which is now COVID-cancelled, so reading this in the sun in bed on a Sunday morning before another week working in the hospital red zone was a treat and a half.
Almost definitely going to be one of my favourite things I read this year. The art work is beautiful, the poems about life, being a woman, being the not-posh kid in posh places. Perfection.
I bought this after getting a ticket to see Hollie in Glasgow, which is now COVID-cancelled, so reading this in the sun in bed on a Sunday morning before another week working in the hospital red zone was a treat and a half.
January 1, 2025
i really enjoyed this collection. all of hollies poetry i’ve read so far i’ve thought was fab and enjoyed it.
this collection wasn’t just about the authors grandparents but also about lots of different topics including migration, belonging, growing up and class.
the way this collection is put together is great, the different illustrations really compliment the poems.
a fantastic start to my reading year !!
this collection wasn’t just about the authors grandparents but also about lots of different topics including migration, belonging, growing up and class.
the way this collection is put together is great, the different illustrations really compliment the poems.
a fantastic start to my reading year !!
August 22, 2022
My first time reading Hollie McNish and I'm so glad I did! It was full of "YES!" moments, and I couldn't put it down.
Enjoyed every single page and left me searching for the rest of Hollie's books, grateful that she has written so much that's worthy of buying and devouring. Thank you Hollie for being so blatantly honest, articulate and engaging in how you write, I love every bit of it.
Enjoyed every single page and left me searching for the rest of Hollie's books, grateful that she has written so much that's worthy of buying and devouring. Thank you Hollie for being so blatantly honest, articulate and engaging in how you write, I love every bit of it.
August 22, 2019
What a fantastic collection. Poems about immigration issues / racism in GB, poems about how women are treated, poems about family. They’re simply stated poems about complex ideas and I found them all fascinating. I would love to see her perform.
Thanks, Shel, I loved it!!
Thanks, Shel, I loved it!!
February 28, 2025
Not my favourite Hollie McNish collection (that honour goes to Nobody Told Me), but enjoyable nonetheless, with several poems resonating with me.
The ones about her Grandparents made me smile, and I found Moon to be very simple yet effective.
The ones about her Grandparents made me smile, and I found Moon to be very simple yet effective.
January 14, 2018
A decent collection of thoughtful poetry. "Cupcake and Scones" and "Tinkerbell" may have been my favorite.
My copy had some printing issues with some of the images covering the text.
My copy had some printing issues with some of the images covering the text.
June 22, 2021
a lovely book , this lady knows how to write a picture that's for sure
September 15, 2021
Borrowed off a friend. Intense reading but enjoyed. Ready to start the next book
January 11, 2022
my favourite Hollie McNish book! Clever poetry, amazing design and art work, unconventional poetry / performance poetry in it
this book isn't just poetry, it's an entire art piece in itself!
this book isn't just poetry, it's an entire art piece in itself!
August 8, 2022
Man! Hollie McNish is such a clever poet she is comedic and heartbreaking, even though some of the poems I didn’t like as much it was the complete package to me
December 28, 2022
An early poetry collection from Hollie McNish, who is one of my favourite poets.
December 12, 2024
I think I really love poetry again. All the ways that Hollie makes me remember wanting to be a poet when I was in high school. What a lovely memory I had lost, about a part of me long forgotten.
March 10, 2017
"I have never been the same
since my school teacher said
The 'sun' is a star and 'pink' is light red"
I absolutely loved this. I would highly recommend it, to literally everyone! Cherry Pie looks at a variety of topics including feminism and rape culture, the perception of woman and men, racism and ignorance, relationships, current world issues and family. My favourite poems include: Clubbing, Cupcakes and Scones, Hate and Bungalows and Biscuit Tins.
I adored this collection. One of my favourites.
since my school teacher said
The 'sun' is a star and 'pink' is light red"
I absolutely loved this. I would highly recommend it, to literally everyone! Cherry Pie looks at a variety of topics including feminism and rape culture, the perception of woman and men, racism and ignorance, relationships, current world issues and family. My favourite poems include: Clubbing, Cupcakes and Scones, Hate and Bungalows and Biscuit Tins.
I adored this collection. One of my favourites.
February 8, 2023
the layout... the poetry... the ARTWORK! so fun
March 17, 2016
People say poetry can never fill the potential space that a novel can, because it is so short and fleeting. But I think that that is what makes poetry most powerful - it is a fleeting moment we can do anything with. Turn it into a picture, a memory, a feeling.
And poetry, contrare to the popular stereotype, can be used as one of the most powerful weapons against society. It is a means of keeping it short, sweet and simple when we express our views, whether that be on feminism or the state of stereotypes themselves: how ironic.
McNish's poems defy every rule - they don't always rhyme, they don't always rhyme regularly, and they question things. Why do we as women have to live our lives as society says? Why do we have to use the grammar to fill the space instead more beautiful, fantastical words? Why can we not remain who it is we are? Why does gender and sex and identity and life all have to conform down to one basic thing?
There were many favourite poems in relation to this questioning attitude which I liked from this book - especially the one about Tinkerbell, cupcakes and scones and ten English gentlemen. Because there is just some infectious, witty, funny quality to them that is almost tangible when you read it and I want that. I want that in every poem I read. I would kill to see Auden writing like McNish because it just makes everything so much more highly strung and anticipated.
But my favourite poems were the ones which contained vulnerability and human-ness to the individual and not to society. Including Silence, moon, dear London, ocean floor and especially (Especially.) the namesake of Cherry pie because those moments are exactly what poetry should be.
I can't wait to read more of her work and cannot recommend this quirky, satirical, heart breaking, heart warming, stomach-ache-laugh-worthy collection more.
And poetry, contrare to the popular stereotype, can be used as one of the most powerful weapons against society. It is a means of keeping it short, sweet and simple when we express our views, whether that be on feminism or the state of stereotypes themselves: how ironic.
McNish's poems defy every rule - they don't always rhyme, they don't always rhyme regularly, and they question things. Why do we as women have to live our lives as society says? Why do we have to use the grammar to fill the space instead more beautiful, fantastical words? Why can we not remain who it is we are? Why does gender and sex and identity and life all have to conform down to one basic thing?
There were many favourite poems in relation to this questioning attitude which I liked from this book - especially the one about Tinkerbell, cupcakes and scones and ten English gentlemen. Because there is just some infectious, witty, funny quality to them that is almost tangible when you read it and I want that. I want that in every poem I read. I would kill to see Auden writing like McNish because it just makes everything so much more highly strung and anticipated.
But my favourite poems were the ones which contained vulnerability and human-ness to the individual and not to society. Including Silence, moon, dear London, ocean floor and especially (Especially.) the namesake of Cherry pie because those moments are exactly what poetry should be.
I can't wait to read more of her work and cannot recommend this quirky, satirical, heart breaking, heart warming, stomach-ache-laugh-worthy collection more.
May 18, 2021
This is such another experience of reading poetry. I dont really read poetry on daily basis as i get bored easily, but this one is currently my favourite. Reading the book doesnt quite feeling like reading poetry book. Its like reading the way of life. The sadness, the anger and the feeling are portrayed very vividly in every pages. Not to mention the illustration. It really helps me at understanding each poetry. I could enjoy the beauty of words and colors in one book. What could i ask for more?
March 17, 2016
it's an interesting collection with beautiful illustrations! it covered some meaningful and interesting topics yet in a lighthearted way. I'll definitely be considering some of the poems for a while. I particularly liked reverse and bungalows and biscuit tins . This is the first collection by a british spoken word poet I've read and also the first by this publisher I'll definitely be picking up more of both!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 33 reviews