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We’re very happy that the Poetry Book Society (@poetrybooksociety) has selected Fatema Abdoolcarim’s 𝘛𝘳𝘦𝘮𝘣𝘭𝘦 as their Pamphlet Choice for the spring.

In their review for the PBS Spring Bulletin, Yousif M. Qasmiyeh and Alycia Pirmohamed wrote:

In this strikingly assured and searing pamphlet, Fatema Abdoolcarim writes the intimate on bodily parchments and, in so doing, she traces the pain that a woman’s body has to endure and live in the name of fertility and motherhood. The poet pushes against vulnerability and dwells on the very meaning of a woman’s body, not as a body in isolation, but as a body in relation. What we see within the folds of these poems are rewritings of/as journeys, whereby “trembling”, both corporeally and figuratively, is a rhythmic recalibration of the body at work.

Thanks to the selectors for choosing Fatema’s work! You can order 𝘛𝘳𝘦𝘮𝘣𝘭𝘦 via the Poetry Book Society or direct from our website. by @monitorbooks

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6 months ago

𝘚𝘯𝘢𝘨𝘨𝘦𝘥 𝘰𝘯 𝘳𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘥⁣
Jazmine Linklater⁣
29.10.2025⁣
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𝘚𝘯𝘢𝘨𝘨𝘦𝘥 𝘰𝘯 𝘳𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘥 is a long poem of protest, power and complicity. Jazmine Linklater articulates how the apparatus of Empire is encoded in the structures we live in: militarised sights set on schoolyards, bargaining arms deals with teenagers, surveilling civic squares, co-opting institutions. And yet 𝘚𝘯𝘢𝘨𝘨𝘦𝘥 𝘰𝘯 𝘳𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘥 is compelled to march, to embroider, to bear witness.⁣
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The pamphlet will launch in Manchester on 29 October (@altogetherotherwise) and in London on 30 October (@burleyfisher), which are co-launch events with Fatema Abdoolcarim’s 𝘛𝘳𝘦𝘮𝘣𝘭𝘦. More details soon. ⁣
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Jazz will also be reading in York on 22 October (℅ @nickykippaxwrites) and in Bristol on 23 October (@ebb_bristol).
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𝘐 𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘐’𝘥 𝘴𝘱𝘦𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘳 𝘰𝘯 𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘳𝘰𝘳⁣
𝘪𝘯 𝘢 𝘳𝘦𝘥 𝘣𝘳𝘪𝘤𝘬 𝘴𝘶𝘣𝘶𝘳𝘣. 𝘞𝘢𝘵𝘤𝘩 𝘸𝘩𝘪𝘵𝘦 𝘱𝘢𝘵𝘤𝘩𝘦𝘴⁣
𝘴𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘦𝘺𝘦𝘴, 𝘶𝘮𝘣𝘳𝘦𝘭𝘭𝘢𝘴 𝘱𝘰𝘱𝘱𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘰𝘱𝘦𝘯⁣
𝘰𝘯 𝘮𝘺 𝘱𝘩𝘰𝘯𝘦. 𝘉𝘶𝘵 𝘤𝘳𝘪𝘮𝘴𝘰𝘯 𝘬𝘦𝘦𝘱𝘴 𝘴𝘦𝘦𝘱𝘪𝘯𝘨⁣
𝘪𝘯 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘦𝘥𝘨𝘦𝘴, 𝘱𝘭𝘶𝘯𝘨𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢 𝘯𝘢𝘳𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘷𝘦⁣
𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘩𝘢𝘳𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘳, 𝘪𝘵𝘴 𝘥𝘦𝘱𝘪𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 –⁣

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‘What is it to only know the word sweetheart in the language of people being killed in your name? How do we comprehend the paltriness of our gestures against genocide? The speaker of Jazmine Linklater’s 𝘚𝘯𝘢𝘨𝘨𝘦𝘥 𝘰𝘯 𝘳𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘥 moves within the intimacies of complicity, not excluding themselves from the we whose taxes fund genocide, or succumbing to individualising games of guilt or absolution. The poem rather weaves then with now – how the “war on terror” normalised the murder of Arabs in the “Western” imaginary for generations. It snags constantly on irresolution, not attempting to tie anything up, but always manages to locate the right enemy.’⁣
– Mira Mattar⁣ (@_typo83_)
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•⁣

Published 29 October ⁣
Designed by Joe Hales studio ⁣(@joehalesstudio)
28pp, 170mm x 230mm⁣
ISBN 978-1-7395424-5-0⁣
£11 + p&p⁣

Author 📸: @alex_macdougall by @monitorbooks

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10

a year ago

It’s been wonderful to see the response so far to 𝘤𝘰𝘢𝘭 by Remi Graves, which Monitor published earlier in the summer. We’re looking forward to sharing details of Remi’s autumn tour very soon. ⁣⁣
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𝘤𝘰𝘢𝘭 was one of the winners of the Prototype Prize 2024, along with @frankrjagoe’s 𝘚𝘪𝘨𝘯𝘪𝘧𝘪𝘤𝘢𝘯𝘵 𝘖𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘴, which publishes next month and which you can now pre-order via @prototypepubs.
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You can order 𝘤𝘰𝘢𝘭 through our website and bookshops can now order copies via our distributor @public_knowledge_books.
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‘This is an exquisitely poised and sensitive collection of poems. In their search for Paul Downing, Remi Graves takes us beyond the archives into a dream-like elsewhere that admits the impossibility of retrieval, and yet manages to conjure Paul, fleetingly, respectfully, and somehow consensually. Each piece is a radical act of language, love, kinship and attention, and this collection is unmissable, sublime.’⁣⁣
– Fiona Benson⁣⁣
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Blackfriars Bridge, 1905. A Black Cherokee man looking for his wife is arrested and charged as a ‘wandering lunatic’. In the City of London asylum, he is photographed; looking directly at the camera, he insists and refuses. He dies in the asylum one year later.⁣⁣
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In the absence of Paul Downing’s own account, Remi Graves writes from and into the trans archive, presenting a sequence of poems and experiments mapping resonances between selves across historical records. Through river crossings and library passes, chance meetings and visitations, 𝘤𝘰𝘢𝘭 is a document that interrogates what we do with the scattered fragments of a life.⁣⁣
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Designed by @s_s_whetton / @designprintbind
Book photography: @liam_chilton
Author photo: Tate / Jordan Anderson ⁣⁣ by @monitorbooks

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a year ago

Lila Matsumoto⁣
Edwin R Stevens⁣
Comfortable on Tightrope (DJ)⁣
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from 6pm, Thursday 8 October
Impiety Hour / @ad_england ⁣
70 Oldham Road, Manchester M4 5EB
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Join us at Impiety Hour for readings from Lila Matsumoto and Edwin R Stevens, with Comfortable on a Tightrope playing records in the bar upstairs. Not to be missed!
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Readings will start promptly at 𝟔.𝟒𝟓𝐩𝐦, ready or not. ⁣

𝘍𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘴𝘦 𝘸𝘪𝘴𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘰 𝘢𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘯𝘥 𝘓𝘦𝘯𝘯𝘪 𝘚𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘳𝘴’ 𝘭𝘢𝘶𝘯𝘤𝘩 𝘢𝘵 𝘯𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘣𝘺 𝘎𝘶𝘭𝘭𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘴: 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘵𝘪𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘰𝘸 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘵𝘰 𝘦𝘯𝘫𝘰𝘺 𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨’𝘴 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘴 𝘪𝘯 𝘢 𝘧𝘳𝘦𝘯𝘻𝘺 𝘰𝘧 𝘭𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘭𝘪𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘦.⁣⁣

There will be books and refreshments for sale. Any small donations (collected on the door/n.o.t.a.f.l.o.f.) help us cover costs and are appreciated. Thank you.⁣

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Lila Matsumoto is a writer and musician, author most recently of 𝘛𝘢𝘭𝘬 𝘢 𝘉𝘭𝘶𝘦 𝘚𝘵𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘬 (Monitor, 2026). She plays in the band Food People, who recently released 𝘙𝘢𝘪𝘯𝘴𝘮𝘰𝘬𝘦𝘥 𝘊𝘩𝘳𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘮𝘢𝘴 (Slipping, 2026). She lives in Nottingham.⁣
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Edwin R Stevens is a writer and musician. His most recent record is 𝘈 𝘗𝘭𝘢𝘨𝘶𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘎𝘪𝘮𝘱𝘴 (Wrong Speed Records, 2026) and his short story collection 𝘚𝘦𝘢𝘨𝘶𝘭𝘭𝘴 is published in a new edition by Perfect Angel Press (@perfectangelpress). He lives in Glasgow. ⁣

Comfortable on a Tightrope have been presenting concerts, records, tapes, books, etc. since 2004.

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Poster by Rei taken in 𝑰𝒎𝒑𝒊𝒆𝒕𝒚 𝑯𝒐𝒖𝒓 - AD England by @monitorbooks

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0

9 days ago

Some photographs of Lila Matsumoto’s 𝘛𝘢𝘭𝘬 𝘢 𝘉𝘭𝘶𝘦 𝘚𝘵𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘬, which published earlier this year. We’re very happy with the response this book has had – thank you for your support!

While supplies last, direct orders include one of the postcards pictured in sunlight above. And now the summer recess is over, we’re looking forward to announcing new autumn events with Lila, alongside new titles, soon.

In the meantime please join Lila, John Powell Jones, and Maria W. Horn this Saturday at Fielden Hall in Todmorden, a special event organised by @nan_moors_bar_venue_todmorden. Ticket link in our bio.

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In 1990, a girl moves to the USA. She goes to school, learns English, becomes an American citizen, and aspires to become a writer. But what is she to make of the extravagance, bombast, and damage she encounters in the new country’s language and customs? And what about the shrink-wrapped hunks of frozen meat, hurricanes, and the cat-eye marbles scattered on the road?

Hugely pleasurable, in turns funny and dolorous, 𝘛𝘢𝘭𝘬 𝘢 𝘉𝘭𝘶𝘦 𝘚𝘵𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘬 examines how the act of writing declares a selfhood, but one that is always performative, looped, and curlicued.

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‘Reading these poems made me feel like I was having the best, funniest, most profound conversation with a friend. It made me feel like I love my funny friend, that this moment talking together is the distillation of all I could ask of life.’
— Nisha Ramayya by @monitorbooks

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17 days ago

This weekend in London: Glue, a book fair at the ICA, with appearances from many of the bright and brilliant.

Saturday 12–7pm
Sunday 12–6pm

@icalondon // @icalondonbookstore taken in ICA Institute Of Contemporary Art by @monitorbooks

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23 days ago

@nan_moors_bar_venue_todmorden & @monitorbooks present

Maria W. Horn, John Powell-Jones & Lila Matsumoto live performances at the beautiful Fielden Hall in Todmorden on Saturday 19 September. £16 adv. Doors 5pm. Will def be a bar and hopef some delicious food !

@mariawhorn, a composer hailing from the north of Sweden, based in Stockholm since 2011. Maria w Horn is interested in the manipulation of time and space through sonic extremes - oscillating between minimalist structures and piercing power electronics utilizing both digital and analog synthesis as well as acoustic instruments and audiovisual components.

@johnpowell_jones is a UK-based artist whose work spans sculpture, animation, print and installation. Drawing on horror, folklore and the visual language of videogames, he creates speculative worlds populated by mutated beings and unstable technologies. His practice examines how power, ideology and myth shape perceptions of the body, the other and the future.

Lila Matsumoto , whose poetry publications are Talk a Blue Streak (Monitor Books, 2026), Two Twin Pipes Sprout Water (Prototype, 2021), which was commended by the Forward Poetry Prize and recommended by the Poetry Book Society, and Urn & Drum (Shearsman, 2018). Other publications include the poem poster ‘Roasted by myself’ (Prototype, 2025) and a creative-critical book on cross-disciplinary art practice, The Very Nature of Materiality is an Entanglement, produced in collaboration with OK-RM design studio (In Other Words, 2024).

Dream line up and collaboration with @monitorbooks . Can’t wait. Equinox season ! Lets goooooo ticket link in bio by @monitorbooks

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4

2 months ago

Tomorrow night’s event at the Horse Hospital is fully booked! There is a waiting list for places on the Eventbrite page.

If you booked and are no longer able to come, please remember to return your ticket using Eventbrite so others can come instead.

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UCL Special Collections and Monitor present 𝘚𝘭𝘰𝘸𝘭𝘺, 𝘴𝘭𝘰𝘸𝘭𝘺, 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘵𝘰𝘯𝘨𝘶𝘦 𝘶𝘯𝘳𝘰𝘭𝘭𝘴: 𝘢𝘯 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘰𝘧 𝘱𝘰𝘦𝘵𝘳𝘺 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘴𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘥, bringing together some of the most interesting experimental poets and artists at work today.⁣
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Inspired by UCL’s internationally renowned Small Press Collections of independently produced literary little magazines, experimental art and poetry, this event will feature performance poetry, sound art and screenings to celebrate 60 years of small press collecting at UCL. Curated by UCL Special Collections and Monitor, their 2025 Small Press in Residence.⁣
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With performances by

Rowland Hill (@row.land.hill)
Allen Fisher (@allen.fisher.104)
Tris Vonna-Michell
dove / Christine Kirubi
Vocal Constructivists (@vocalconstructivists)
Samra Mayanja (@newyearr_newmee)
Andrew Whiteman / Poets’ Workout Sound System (@poetsworkoutsoundsystem)
Time is Away (@timeisaway)

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Flyers by @s_s_whetton / @designprintbind by @monitorbooks

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3 months ago

Rowland Bagnall on Lila Matsumoto’s 𝘛𝘢𝘭𝘬 𝘢 𝘉𝘭𝘶𝘦 𝘚𝘵𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘬 in Saturday’s @guardian.

Final slide from the London launch last month. Excited to announce more events soon!

You can order the book directly from our website. For trade orders, our titles are distributed via @public_knowledge_books.

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‘Matsumoto’s third collection tells a coming-of-age story set in the USA during the 1990s. The speaker is a new arrival, finding herself suddenly “living on a movie set called America”, surrounded by “synthetic luxury I didn’t get the wow of”. Matsumoto relishes the substance of off-kilter language, chewing on the strangeness of unfamiliar words and phrases: “Riding shotgun, passing the buck, shooting the breeze.” While her musicality and playfulness are obvious rewards, she also offers a delicate meditation on themes of identity and artifice, asking questions about how the self is formed both in response and resistance to the culture that surrounds it.’
– Rowland Bagnall Through a series of episodic prose poems, Matsumoto’s third collection tells a coming-of-age story set in the USA during the 1990s. The speaker is a new arrival, finding herself suddenly “living on a movie set called America”, surrounded by “synthetic luxury I didn’t get the wow of”. Matsumoto relishes the substance of off-kilter language, chewing on the strangeness of unfamiliar words and phrases: “Riding shotgun, passing the buck, shooting the breeze.” While her musicality and playfulness are obvious rewards, she also offers a delicate by @monitorbooks

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3

3 months ago

Looking forward to this Zine Fair next Saturday at @southbankcentre, part of the Poetry International programme.

Thanks to @bookspeckham / @nationalpoetrylibrary for organising!

12–6pm, Saturday 11 July
Ground Floor of the Royal Festival Hall taken in Royal Festival Hall - Southbank Centre by @monitorbooks

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3 months ago

*This Friday*

Fatema Abdoolcarim (@fatemaabdoolcarim)
Helen Charman (@helchar)
Rebecca Hurst (@rebecca.hurst70)
Eve Esfandiari-Denney (@evediariden)

from 6.30pm at

Present Tense (@___presenttense)
[cnr Poet’s Road]
4 Ferntower Road
London N5 2JG

Book tickets via the Present Tense website, link in bio! by @monitorbooks

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0

4 months ago

This Friday and Saturday: the @biblioteka_library Art Book Fair at @the_warburg_institute.

Very much looking forward to this fair with 60+ publishers, artists, librarians, and more. There’s a programme of talks and launches to boot, all free to attend.

Open Friday 12–8pm and Saturday 11am–7pm.

Warburg Institute
Bloomsbury
London WC1H OAB. taken in The Warburg Institute by @monitorbooks

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4 months ago