A Poet For Every Day of the Year is an essential buy. The concept of this book is so clever: every day there is a new poet to discover. A biography of the poet and one of their poems is there to discover for every day of the year.
This book is gorgeous on the outside and just as gorgeous on the inside. Perfect for adults and children. I cannot recommend this well-researched and luscious book enough. Get your hands on a copy now.
Award-winning and bestselling poetry anthologist, ALLIE ESIRI has lit an explosion of interest in poetry, through her carefully curated anthologies and exciting live performances.
Allie’s books have sold over 250,000 copies in hardback
· Her three poetry collections, A Poem for Every Day of the Year; A Poem for Every Night of the Year and Shakespeare for Every Day of the Year have been chosen as Books of the Year by The Times, The Observer and New Statesman and they have featured in the top five poetry titles every year since 2016.
· Allie has been announced as the Chair of Judges for the CLiPPA Awards 2021, following in the footsteps of Michael Rosen and Roger McGough. She is also a judge for The Trussell Trust Food for Thought poetry competition 2021.
· A Poem for Every Night of the Year had its best sales year in 2020 – five years after publication.
· In 2020, THREE of the top ten children’s poetry titles were curated by Allie, though her books are enjoyed by all ages
Allie is the NUMBER ONE author across children’s poetry in 2021.
A Poet for Every Day of the Year, Allie’s newest anthology, is published by Macmillan Children’s Books. It introduces readers to 366 of the world’s greatest poets, juxtaposing diverse, exciting, vibrant new voices alongside the enduring giants of the form, with fascinating mini biographies of each writer.
The day-by-day format inspires readers to make poetry as much part of their daily routine as breakfast or bedtime. It encourages them to discover theinspirational, the life affirming, the provocative and the entertaining in each and every day.
“Allie Esiri’s books take you by the hand with poems to restore you and make your toes tingle, that will take you away for a little while and home again, with your spirits a little higher than before.”
Helena Bonham Carter
Allie Esiri, on her new anthology, A Poet for Every Day of the Year:
Poetry at its best has always enabled us to see different worlds, or rather, our own world differently, without ever having to leave our home. It has articulated our muddled thoughts, given a voice to the voiceless and lent an ear to the otherwise unheard. But most of the anthologies we have at our disposal seem to view poetry as an almost exclusively white, western, male craft, almost untouched by women or anyone from another background or ethnicity. I think now is the time to redress this.
In this book, you’ll not only find a great poem for every day of the year, but you’ll also learn about the life, times, and work of each poet, and discover connections between writers that transcend the established canon and chronology.
I hope readers of all ages and backgrounds will be inspired by the poets they find within this anthology. As the mother of mixed-race children, I’m especially and personally proud to present a book that represents them, and countless other diverse readers like them.
Poets featured in A Poet for Every Day of the Year include:
Maya Angelou
Elizabeth Barrett Browning
Brian Bilston
Eavan Boland
Lord Byron
William Carlos Williams
Lewis Carroll
Wendy Cope
Imtiaz Dharker
Georgia Douglas Johnson
Helen Dunmore
Bob Dylan
Louise Glück
Jackie Kay
Michael Rosen
Christina Rossetti
Stevie Smith
Ocean Vuong
William Wordsworth
ALLIE ESIRI is an accomplished curator and host of live poetry events, featuring some of our best-known actors – from Helena Bonham Carter to Dominic West – at the National Theatre, the Bridge Theatre, and major literary festivals.
She lives in London with her husband and three children.
The book is available here.