8 January Poetry Releases to Refresh Your Bookshelf

Have you blown through your 2020 reading list? Don’t sweat it. The new year is the perfect excuse to refresh your bookshelf. This month, there’s no shortage of great books to add to your collection. If you’re looking for some ideas, here are eight January poetry releases to get your hands on. 

I Must Belong Somewhere by Dawn Lanuza

Acclaimed writer Dawn Lanuza releases her third poetry collection, I Must Belong Somewhere, this month. A mix of poetry and prose, this collection provides readers with insight into topics like longing, home, bullying, loneliness, and mental health. Available Jan. 5.

Legacy: Women Poets of the Harlem Renaissance by Nikki Grimes

Children’s Literature Legacy award-winner Nikki Grimes releases an eye-opening collection this month with Legacy: Women Poets of the Harlem Renaissance. The collection celebrates the too often overlooked female poets of the Harlem Renaissance alongside full-color illustrations by today’s most prominent female African American illustrators. Available Jan. 5.

Three Simple Lines by Natalie Goldberg

Unpack the powerful potential of the haiku with painter, teacher, and poet Natalie Goldberg. This delightful book serves as a friendly tour guide into the world of haiku, chronicling the history of the form as far back as the seventeenth century as well as its promise of profound enlightenment through restraint. Available Jan. 5.

When a Poem Meets a Pencil by Chris Carpenter and Rob Hedges

This imaginative and whimsical collection brings together pencil drawings and playful poetry. Author Chris Carpenter and Illustrator Rob Hedges join forces in this beautiful collaboration to portray the world through the lens of those who experience color blindness. Available Jan. 6. 

Red Rover Red Rover by Bob Hicok

Award-winning poet Bob Hicok calls attention to the dire state of the modern world with a tender tone in his newest collection, Red Rover Red Rover. From humor and romance to raging fires and disappearing water, Red Rover Red Rover gives an unflinching account of the modern human experience. Available Jan. 12. 

Shield by Jamie Hale

UK-based artist, poet, playwright, and actor Jamie Hale releases their highly anticipated pandemic poetry pamphlet, Shield, this month. The collection explores Hale’s experience as a disabled person during the pandemic through a variety of arresting and intense perspectives. Available Jan. 14. 

Shine Your Icy Crown by Amanda Lovelace

Bestselling poet Amanda Lovelace is starting 2021 strong with the second installment in her newest feminist poetry series, “You Are Your Own Fairy Tale.” Shine Your Icy Crown is an empowering collection that encourages readers to own their power. Available Jan. 26.

The Sunflower Cast a Spell to Save Us from the Void by Jackie Wang

With a balance of dreaminess and clarity, poet, essayist, and filmmaker Jackie Wang weaves themes of solidarity and resilience through her latest collection, The Sunflower Cast a Spell to Save Us from the Void. Wang unpacks the meanings of historical trauma and communal memory with energy, insight, and even a streak of humor at times. Available Jan. 26.