Introducing Louise McStravick

When I read Louise's first poem, I was sure I wanted to publish her (that good!)

Louise has a raw and lyrical style which draws a reader in - or a listener, as Louise is a much-loved spoken word artist from Birmingham.

In this collection, coming July 2020, Louise takes a look at family and community roots and how they shape us...

Two witches used to live on the street, their hair had white streaks

and they would scare children with their silence, they had no sweets.

One day they were in the newspaper, gassed in their garage, suicide, death, violent.

We regret calling them witches.

Nostalgia, longing, and reflection run through this collection. In a personal exploration of the relationship between the everyday, objects, and memory, she explores how their interconnection interacts with identity and belonging. She is particularly interested in how these things can form part of our personal and family histories and shape who we are and our place in the world. In doing so, she weaves together the themes of heartbreak, aging, class, immigration, and questions the ownership of her body. Oh and food, a lot of it.

Keep an eye out for July 2020!