Sleep

An insightful and empathetic collection of around ninety poems on the topic of sleep (or lack of it), curated by Allie Esiri.

A meditative companion for every hour of the night, SLEEP offers solace, empathy and a dash of humour. If you are awake at 3am, this is the book for you.

Arranged in three sections — SLEEP; INSOMNIA (or PSST, ARE YOU AWAKE); and DAWN — the anthology moves through the night, pairing each poem with an illuminating introduction that provides thoughtful context, gentle reflections and companionship for the quiet hours.

Bringing together a diverse mix of poems from across centuries and traditions, the collection features poets including Margaret Atwood, Bashö, Wendy Cope, Rita Dove, Philip Larkin, Mary Oliver, Sylvia Plath, Rumi and Lemn Sissay — making SLEEP a book to savour alone or share, night after night.

Reviews

Praise for Allie Esiri’s Poetry Anthologies:

‘This book will bring a little magic into your day and into your heart’ Helena Bonham Carter

‘Allie’s books are pages from paradise, perfect for now and perfect for Christmas’ Joanna Lumley

‘If you feel as though your life is lacking a bit of poetry, this is an excellent place to start’ The Times

About the author

Allie Esiri read Modern and Medieval Languages at Cambridge and is an award-winning curator, described by The Sunday Times as a ‘poetry powerhouse’. Her anthology A Poem for Every Day of the Year was in the best books of the year list in The Times and the Observer. Her anthology, A Poem for Every Night of the Year was a best book of the year in The Times and the New Statesman and won the IBW book award. She hosts an annual poetry show at the National Theatre and regular events at major festivals including Hay, Cheltenham and Edinburgh.