Yay. The publication of a debut poetry collection is, to our mind, always a cause for celebration—and even more so when the poet in question is a Litro alumni. Then, we temporarily set down the gin and tonic so customarily attached to our right hand, assume something of a more parental pose and, beaming, clasp our hands together and proprietarily say, “See? We told you she was a genius!”

Case in point: Julia Bird (that’s her in the picture reading at her launch party at Scooterworks Cafe last month), whose first poetry collection, Hannah and the Monk, debuted in September. Julia’s poetry has previously appeared in Litro, so it came as no surprise to us that her recent work has been praised for its “charm, freshness and agility” and described as “keenly observant… confidential, elegiac and tender”. You can get more of a taste on Julia’s blog. The complete collection is published and available for purchase from Salt Publishing.

Congratulations, Julia!

About N/A N/A

Julie Palmer-Hoffman is a freelance writer, editor and blogger. She thinks of London as something of a literary Shangri-La and prides herself on being a massive book geek. Julie writes for two blogs: The Londonist and Litro.

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Hannah and the Monk Julia Bird Litro alumni Poetry