A work of formal experimentation, where lyric essays nestle against play-let structures, in service of a Claudia Rankine-esque determination to bear witness and find frameworks with which we can look at the world properly, fully . Some very disturbing and powerful work here, especially on race, culture and violence towards black people. Publication dates are subject to change (although this is an extremely uncommon occurrence overall).

The poems cover a range of topics including black masculinity and anxiety, the fear of confrontations with the police and the systemic racism that offers understanding for people coming from a white privileged background as opposed to Black men and women. Impassioned, insightful, electric, Manorism is a poetic examination of the lives of Black British men and boys: propped up and hemmed in by contemporary masculinity, deepened by family, misrepresented in the media, and complicated by the riches, and the costs, of belonging and inheritance. Yomi asks and, in a sense, answers in this collection, why it is easy for a white man to escape his wrongdoing, while a Black man is not given the same opportunity. Snippets of Yoruba interweave with English, and a moving final sequence, part poetry, part play, charts the dramatic reconciliations surrounding a death in the family.

I was fortunate to attend a reading event with the Author himself and it really brought each of these poems to life and the thread between each poetry in this collection! Alongside, the political message, there is also a series of poems focusing on grief and mourning of relatives and other people of the Black community, bringing to light the fact that articulating ones emotions and vulnerability is fine even for Black men, who often frown upon 'crying'. Manorism” walks us through the life of black men, an vivid exploration of race, racism, the complexities of inter-racial relationships, Black masculinity, and Black fatherhood. i could not recommend this more, i recommend this to even people like me who usually don’t read poetry. It’s vulnerability is a challenge, an encouragement, a reimagining, of what it means to be a “strong black man”.

Manorism is a poetic examination of the lives of Black British men and boys: propped up and hemmed in by contemporary masculinity, deepened by family, misrepresented in the media, and complicated by the riches, and the costs, of belonging and inheritance. In this collection, Yomi Ṣode enables us to listen and in doing so extends our vision of the poetic terra cognita. My thanks to NetGalley for making an advance copy available to me so that I might provide an honest and unbiased review. ode takes us on a visceral journey, spilling secrets nakedly, not allowing us to look away from the hard truth. He takes us along as he comments, empathises, reflects, mourns and ponders black male adolescence and manhood.

It is such a good poetry book but I wouldn't recommend starting with this book if you’ve never read poetry before or if you’ve only read “Milk and Honey”. Because of the ambition and originality of this collection, I would suggest readers read it at least three or four times so as to tune into this remarkable portrayal. Like Surge or Poor (or what little I read of Citizen), this is a collection driven by outrage and longing for justice for Black people. The book is about families, society, being Black in Britain, being a cousin, a nephew, a son and the hope for the future that being a father brings. I read about myself and my people, felt an affinity in the expression of experiences we share and felt feelings only we feel.