The Hour of the Star – Clarice Lispector
I loved the off-beat simplicity and philosophical intensity of this novella.
Crush – Richard Siken
It made me realise just how playful I could be with my own poetry. This collection is ferocious, intimate yet polished.
The Man With Night Sweats – Thom Gunn
This book has moved me like no other. I wrote my MA dissertation on Gunn’s work, and it’s still my favourite poetry collection to date.
The Awakening – Kate Chopin
Stunning portrayal of a woman’s refusal to lose herself for marriage and children. I felt every line of this classic.
Of Mutability – Jo Shapscott
A stunning book about illness that is not depressing or sentimental. She is one of my favourite contemporary poets.
Nisha Bhakoo is a British poet and editor. She is currently working on a PhD on the Uncanny within contemporary poetry at Humboldt University, Berlin. Her first poetry collection, “You found a beating heart” was published by The Onslaught Press. Her second poetry collection, “Black and White Dream”, was published by Broken Sleep Books. She is currently editing a Gothic Anthology for The Emma Press.