Unashamed

by Harry Baker

"A Joyous Book which artfully proves maths and poetry are two sides of the same Möbius strip" - Matt Parker.

A brand new book of poems taken from the last 8 years (!) since The Sunshine Kid came out AND IT’S FINALLY HERE! Includes poems Falafellöffel, Maybe, An A-Z of Time and Space, When This Is Over, Impossible, Unashamed and more.

Genres: Poetry

137 pages, Paperback

Published October 6, 2022

About the author

I have loved words from a young age and been a full-time poet since I graduated from Bristol with a maths degree in 2015. Most commonly this takes the form on standing on stages and sharing my words with others, but I am always looking to collaborate with new people and find new places to take it.

I become the youngest ever Poetry World Slam Champion in 2012, and my first collection of poems The Sunshine Kid was published with Burning Eye in December 2014 - I am currently working on my second collection, as well as regularly giving workshops and performances and having fun touring around the UK as part of Harry And Chris.

Reviews

[Ruben · Rating 5 out of 5]

it's not the dreaming;
it's the waking up with you.
i want to be here long enough
to gather dust with you.

for us love isn't in the air;
That is just where we found it.
All this is built upon
What we have done to ground it.
It's not the spark when we first met;
It's the lifetime built around it.
It's by small amounts
That mounds amount to Mountains.

[Maaike · Rating 5 out of 5]

When it takes everything
to not just be defined by someone else,
you can start by showing kindness to yourself.

[S · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful book of mathematical, witty poetry, interspersed with top tips for running each mile of a marathon and some fun reflections on life.

[Caitlin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great collection of poems with a bit of introspection about the pandemic. The German poems were a funny surprise.

[Camie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really enjoy Harry Baker’s poetry when he delivers it !!
He is very insightful and humorous. I like this book, but since I am no kind of beat poet, the words on the page
just don’t arrive at the right cadence.
You can check out this author on YouTube where he is just delightful.

[Namal Siddiqui · Rating 4 out of 5]

I heard Harry Baker perform spoken word at the Emirates Literary Festival first. He was making magic with numbers and words. This book is a carefully-calculated, poetical and moving memoir. A tear or two may have been shed.

[that girl who reads · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely love this collection and how the themes have grown into something more mature and complex. Especially love the messages around being yourself / being unashamed as this is also what my younger self needed to hear.

[Kristen Usher · Rating 5 out of 5]

Positively loved all of it.

[M Guest · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fluffy, funny and warmhearted (and sometimes emotional)

Just read it, you will not regret it, I promise.

Harry has such a lovely take on life.

[Laupielotje · Rating 4 out of 5]

Blije gevoelens. Speelse dicht van iemand die snapt hoe raar het is om het leven gewoon te vinden en hoe gewoon het is om het leven raar te vinden

[Liesbeth Verbrugge · Rating 5 out of 5]

my forever favourite poet in the whole wide world ♡

[Chris Parker · Rating 4 out of 5]

Highly recommend: a very clever, short little book that leaves you at the intersection of poetry and math.

[✰matthew✰ · Rating 5 out of 5]

this is my second collection by harry and i loved it just as much as the first i read.

it was such a joy to read and i enjoyed the text with each poem explaining why he thought it was important to write a poem about.

i’ve always struggled a bit with maths but i enjoyed the mathematical elements here, they were fun and interesting.

all the poems, about different things from serious to lots of fun, are all so well written and so lyrical. i can hear them in my head being read out loud.

i can’t wait to read harry’s other collection and anything he releases in the future, and potentially see him perform live too !!

[Mills · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you like poetry I HIGHLY recommend this book. Harry Baker is surprisingly insanely funny. His work is immaculate, full of both inspiring and ridiculous poems. Reading his journey that went along with these poems, and the insight towards them, makes him even more meaningful.

[Catherine Jesson · Rating 5 out of 5]

“My name is Harry Baker,
Harry Baker is my name,
If your name was Harry Baker
Then our names would be…the same.”

A classic, how can you not enjoy a bit or word play abs whimsy (and a couple of heart warmers/tear jerkers along the way)

[Terri Lyman · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have loved Harry Baker since my dear cousin first sent me the link to his TED talk. My inner mathematician and inner artist are both inspired and satisfied by this collection. I will read these again and again.

[Lisa O'Hare · Rating 5 out of 5]

I saw Harry perform the title poem in Manchester earlier this week and had to get the whole book. It is such a gorgeous book of poetry and autobiographical storytelling. Such a sharp and playful mind with gorgeous wordplay throughout. Adored the book and will read again.

[Fem · Rating 5 out of 5]

So much fun to read and to listen to. And moving. I recommend you look up his online performance video’s for a listen as well. He is a wordsmith and a wizard with alliteration and all kinds of other clever word and sound games. I expect I will reread these poems many times.

[Becki Dawson-Darby · Rating 5 out of 5]

Poetry is amazing because it can express so much emotion but I've honestly never found another poet who can make you feel so hopeful for the future, acknowledge the pain of your past and laugh out loud all at once. Harry Baker is capable of doing all that and more.

[Bethany Hanson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’m 3 poems in & already love this.
I love the intros to most poems / sections of poems to give the personal touch & insight.

Harry made me laugh, cry, & then laugh multiple times more. I love the creativity, wonder, & genuine passion & excitement for life that comes through in his poetry.

[Bee* · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just beautiful! Hopeful, funny, personal and universal all in one

[Gretchen P · Rating 5 out of 5]

Stumbled across Harry Baker on Instagram and was immediately a fan. This collection made me laugh and tear up in equal measure, which I think is the mark of an excellent poet.

[Michelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing. Each reread hits differently, and there is something for almost every mood. Bonus: he's clever with wordplay in German, too.

[Helen · Rating 5 out of 5]

These poems made me laugh and cry. I had to stop and send my friend a photo of the toilet seat poem. Thank you for spreading the love.

[Kimberley Haddock · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful 😍

[Kels · Rating 4 out of 5]

Devoured this in one evening. Witty and wholesome. ‘Dust’ is phenomenal.

[Hannah Fogg · Rating 4 out of 5]

going to be on my shelf long enough to gather dust with me

[Lucy Hicks · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful words which come together masterfully. I will keep coming back to this book again and again - full of gold.

[Jane Hartley-Oliver · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely brilliant.

[Christy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lovely. Fun. Glad I finally got a copy - hard to find in the States.