Adventures in Form

Born in Nigeria, Ellams is a UK-based poet, playwright and performer who has written for the Royal Shakespeare Company, the National Theatre, and the BBC. His latest play, an adaptation of Chekhov’s Three Sisters set in Nigeria, is on at the National Theatre until 19 February. The Actual will be Ellams’ fifth poetry release, and first full collection, after Thirteen Fairy Negro Tales (flipped eye, 2005), Candy Coated Unicorns and Converse All Stars (flipped eye, 2011), The Wire-Headed Heathen (Akashic Books, 2016) and The Half God of Rainfall (Fourth Estate, 2019).

• Patience Agbabi Simon Barraclough Christian Bok Colette Bryce Theodoros Chiotis Tom Chivers Emily Critchley Rishi Dastidar Joe Dunthorne Michael Egan Inua Ellams SJ Fowler Giles Goodland Kirsten Irving Nathan Jones Valerie Laws Ira Lightman Toby Litt Roddy Lumsden Sophie Mayer Chris McCabe Ian McMillan Richard Moorhead Paul Muldoon Ruth Padel Nathan Penlington Andrew Philip Richard Price Sam Riviere Hannah Silva Iain Sinclair Steve Spence Paul Stephenson Jon Stone Ross Sutherland George Szirte Chris Thorpe Claire Trevien George Ttoouli Tim Turnbull Jack Underwood Hannah Jane Walker Tim Wells James Wilkes Chrissy Williams Tamar Yoseloff

Full of things to divert, entertain and provoke. - The Independent 50 Best Summer Reads Adventures in Form teems with life. It is the start of a new, healthier and more joyous way of looking at the poetic endeavour we live among. It's essential reading right now. - Poetry Review The constraints we chafe against in the creation of 'txt msg poMs' may be unravelling, but the anthology's long-term legacy will be its sense of gusto. Look at this as a pattern book of the possible; it enthuses, and that enthusiasm becomes contagious. - Poetry London Adventures in Form raises fundamental questions, about the value of novelty to poetry, for example, about chance and choice, sense and nonsense, and about the concept of 'voice', in poetry, how it might be revitalised, channelled and challenged. - Poetry Book Society One of the most eye-opening books of the decade. - Eyewear