Pre-Order Shapes & Disfigurements Of Raymond Antrobus (Poetry Collection)

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“…all you need / are the right words,” writes Raymond Antrobus, but as this all-too-brief collection, Shapes and Disfigurements, demonstrates, the best poets need also compassion, insight, craft, taste, and a pitch-perfect ear to the cadence and tones of the human voice and mind. Antrobus has these gifts in buckets—his monologues are stunning studies of voice and substance, and his lyric poems are graceful and finely crafted. Yes, he is a poet to watch, for sure - 

Kwame Dawes (Poetry Professor at South Carolina University & author of Wheels)

"truth resonates throughout this work, whether it is giving voice to the voiceless through experimenting with monologue, dialogue and duologue in a poetic container or using the right pitch, tone and language to create beautiful eloquent lyrical poetry that 'interrogates depression' with poise delicacy and a precision that leaves the reader wonderfully moved." -
Malika Booker (Poet & Author of Breadfruit)


"'This is a poetry of conversations and chance encounters.  Raymond Antrobus gives everyone a hearing and he weaves their voices into astonishing poems of grace, generosity and compassion.  In 'One Night at Zulu Bar in Cape Town' a girl cries out 'This music is so good it hurts', the same could be said of this collection.  Buy it and cherish it.'' -
Professor Sean Eliott (Poet & Creative Writing Professor at Birkbeck University, Author Of Waterhouse & The Tempest)

The reason that Spread the Word tries to support writers like Raymond is because of collections like this. Raymond's poetry is vivid and emotional, raw at times or just plain funny. This honest and engaging first collection takes the poetry of the everyday global encounter, and speaks it vividly onto the page.

Spread The Word

Blistering. Raymond's verse have sharpened tremendously in last few months. And in his 'A Conversation With...' pieces he's found his own voice. And what a moving voice it is too. - Poejazzi

'Imagine what a sentient creature must feel seconds before facing its death in the slaughter house. Imagine dying from heart break but having to still remain alive. Indeed that is from where Antrobus lives to write - those places that are forever hurting while quietly begging for grace - 

Anthony Anaxagorou (poet, author of A Difficult Place To Be Human) 

''If aliens came down to earth and asked me to provide them with a document on humankind, I think I would give them Shapes and Disfigurements of Raymond Antrobus. And hope they read English. Because unlike a lot of people, Raymond listens. He listens so well. And he scribbles and he remembers and I think there is something so special about a poetry book which contains one voice but so many people’s stories. So many poetry books ignore people, this one gives their words the pedestal society won't.

My first time hidden in the back of the Poetry Café in London, scared to read my own pieces, I saw a young guy approach the stage. Cool, calm, book in hand. And I still cannot believe the passion that broke from his lips when he parted them. I had never seen anything like it…and still haven’t. I haven’t forgotten that moment, the point when poetry was thrown into the air and blown out into the audience like a sweet scented hurricane that reached me right in the back corner. This man has so much to say, not because he likes his own voice, but because he likes words, poetry, people and sharing all of these observations with us. And no matter how many times I now see Raymond perform, I can never catch everything in one reading. I am madly happy that now the notes in his hand I saw years ago in that dimlight room in London have found the credit they deserve. I have now read this book nine time this evening and still haven’t caught it all yet. Thanks goodness. What a perfect collection.'' 

- Hollie Mcnish (Author of Paper & Multi Slam Champion)