The Forward Book of Poetry 2019

by Various, Bidisha (Foreword), William Sieghart (Preface)

The Forward Book of Poetry 2019 brings together the best poetry published in the British Isles over the last year, including the winners of the 2018 Forward Prizes. In showcasing the range and ambition of today’s fresh voices alongside new work by familiar names, this anthology is a perfect introduction to contemporary poetry.

"The Forward Prizes are invaluable in finding the most essential, exciting voices, highlighting the contemporary poets who are at the top of their game and whose words will travel far and reach many readers."
Bidisha, chair of judges, Forward Prizes for Poetry 2018.

Genres: Poetry

164 pages, Kindle Edition

Published December 2, 2018

About the author

Various is the correct author for any book with multiple unknown authors, and is acceptable for books with multiple known authors, especially if not all are known or the list is very long (over 50).

If an editor is known, however, Various is not necessary. List the name of the editor as the primary author (with role "editor"). Contributing authors' names follow it.

Note: WorldCat is an excellent resource for finding author information and contents of anthologies.

Reviews

[J.R. Carpenter · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm proud to be included in this diverse collection.

[Louise Gannon · Rating 4 out of 5]

My favourite poem was Girls Are Coming Out of the Woods by Tishani Doshi. I reread this over and over and over. It made me feel my feelings, made me angry, made me want to stand up and fight. Oh, what a thing it is to be a woman.

My other favourite poems are:

- Day, with Hawk by Vahni Capildeo

- dinosaurs in the hood by Danez Smith

- I See That Lileth Hath Been with Thee Again by Shivanee Ramlochan

- Dancing Bear by Richard Scott

- The Republic of Motherhood by Liz Berry

- // The Voyage by JR Carpenter

- Something wonderful has happened it is called you by Emily Critchley

[Peter Longden · Rating 5 out of 5]

A light sprinkling of magical words
If it were a Roman Candle firework, this anthology would explode loudly with sounds and coloured light to add sparkle to a dark and gloomy night!
The 2019 anthology is my first foray into Forward prize poetry and has been a worthwhile introduction both to the marvel and mysteries of poet's imaginations but also to the breadth of subjects that are written (thought, spoken, admired) of in pursuit of this art.
'The Republic of Motherhood' by Liz Berry, 'dinosaurs in the hood' by Danez Smith, J.R. Carpenter' 'from Notes on the Voyage of Owl and Girl', Katherine Pierpoint's 'The egg-slicer' and Meryl Pugh's 'Ugly Questions' are my standout poems in this excellent eclectic anthology, while Ian Humphreys took me on a fun jaunt into '70's nostalgia with 'Return of the Discotheque Dancers'.
Not all poems will be enjoyed by everyone, as they weren't in my reading; the word play might sometimes not be fully understood. But the anthology as a whole gives scope to those new to poetry and seasoned readers the chance to begin or broaden their experience of the craft.

[Sophie]

I’m not a big fan of poetry at the moment, I keep finding the bad stuff. But there are many poems out there that I love and I would like to discover more. Hence why I picked up this collection. The whole not being in a poetry mood thing meant it was a bit of a slog at times but there were some poems I really liked so I guess it was all worth it in the end. I wouldn’t particularly recommend this collection though.

My favs:
•dinosaurs in the hood (Danez Smith)
•On the Third Anniversary of the Rape (Shivanee Ramlochan)
•Monica (Hera Lindsay Bird)
•Something wonderful has happened it is called you (Emily Critchley)
•intimates (Andrew McMillan)

[Francesca]

Already knew and liked Danez Smith's 'dinosaurs in the hood' but also liked:

Liz Berry - The Republic of Motherhood
Hera Lindsay Bird - Monica
Toby Campion - When the Stranger Called Me a Faggot

https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poet...
https://granta.com/the-republic-of-mo...
https://www.google.com/amp/s/thespino...
https://mobile.twitter.com/novelniche...

[Jon Margetts · Rating 4 out of 5]

Superb book of modern poetry. Best poems, not in any order, on a first read through:

Oliver and the Bears
Set in Gold
Monica
The Girl from the Triangle House
Resurrection
For Edward Thomas
Ruins
Girl to Snake (and The Quilt - Abigail Parry very promising!)
dinosaurs in the hood

As usual, a suspect few in here which seem to go over my head with obscure allusions and complicated wordplay, but overall a solid anthology.

[Natalie D · Rating 4 out of 5]

part of my reccomended reading list for Creative Writing.

I'm not usually informed about poetry,
invested more in fiction.
Wishing for escape,
a prolonged
headlong dive into
novels that transport me like
portals from old sci-fi
to another world.

This book gave me a glimpse
a slim taste of what
poetry could do.
Because poetry is power,
lightning in a bottle.

[Kate · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great selection this year. I've discovered so many new names I want to keep an eye out for in the future.

[Bethany Fisher · Rating 3 out of 5]

Worth reading

Some of the poems weren't for me (which is expected, I think, in an anthology, as we all have different tastes), but I did like quite a few. Would recommend

[Sophie · Rating 1 out of 5]

99% of everything I hate about poetry.

[Cooch · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Pick and Mix

There are some good poems and a few very good poems here. Overall this is not the strongest Forward collection.

[LauraJL · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75