Ten: poets of the new generation presents the work of ten exciting British poets from diverse backgrounds. It is the third anthology from The Complete Works poetry mentoring scheme, a national programme supporting exceptional black and Asian poets founded by the writer Bernardine Evaristo in 2007. Already making a big impact on the British poetry scene, poets from the series have included Sarah Howe, the 2016 winner of both the T.S. Eliot Prize and the Sunday Times Young Writer of the Year Award; Mona Arshi, winner of the Forward Prize for Best First Collection 2016; and Warsan Shire, who collaborated with Beyoncé on her visual album, Lemonade in 2016, which featured many of Shire’s poems.
This latest anthology in the Ten series will not disappoint readers hoping to discover more exceptional talent. It includes poets with even more diverse backgrounds ranging from Somalia and Nigeria through to Jamaica and the multiculturalism of Macau, and features the first poet from Latin America. These are poets who interrogate race and explode any ideas of a page/stage divide. Fierce, unexpected, sometimes beautiful and always passionate, here are ten poets to savour and enjoy.
The poets included are: Raymond Antrobus, Omikemi Natacha Bryan, Leonardo Boix, Victoria Adukwei Bulley, Will Harris, Ian Humphreys, Jennifer Lee Tsai, Momtaza Mehri, Yomi Sode and Degna Stone.
The Complete Works III is directed by Dr Nathalie Teitler, with thanks to Arts Council England for their generous funding.
Copublication with The Complete Works III
‘Recent British poetry has been transformed by The Complete Works (TCW). Now based at Roehampton Poetry Centre, this project has seen the number of books by black and minority ethnicity poets published by major UK presses go from under 1 per cent to 14 per cent within 10 years. As TCW founder-director Nathalie Teitler says, “behind closed doors many editors and critics reveal that they’re not sure how to engage with these new aesthetics”. - Fiona Sampson, The i Paper
‘If first collections seem too risky for gift-giving, play it safe with an anthology... why not try Ten: Poets of the New Generation?... an anthology of work by black and ethnic minority poets…’ – Tristram Fane Saunders, The Daily Telegraph (Poetry Books of the Year)
'As well as being a literary endeavour, Ten: Poets of the New Generation is a form of activism and a show of solidarity in which established voices stand up for and celebrate lesser-known ones. The Complete Works project has changed the literary world measurably, letting in variety not just of race, sex and cultural identity but also of voice, form, attitude, outlook and experience... a wonderfully accessible showcase for thrilling new talent and, overall, a joy to read.' - Bidisha, The Poetry Review
