Amy Katrina Blakemore[1] (born in 1991) is an English author, poet, and translator.
Life and career edit
Blakemore was born in London in 1991.[2][3] She studied Language and Literature at the University of Oxford.[4] She has published two full-length collections of poetry, two novels, and a poet's manifesto. Blakemore has also translated the work of Sichuanese poet Yu Yoyo and contributes to various literary publications and collections.
Awards and recognition edit
Aged 15, she had her poem Peckham Rye Lane published in the London Evening Standard.[4] Blakemore was Foyle Young Poet of the Year in 2007 and 2008.[3] She was awarded the 2014 Melita Hume Prize which resulted in her publishing her first full-length collection of poetry Humbert Summer.[2][3][4] In 2017, The Poetry Society invited her to write a 'poetry manifesto', which she named "The flower is forever my capitain".[5] She appeared at the Greenbelt Festival in 2018.[6] Her second poetry collection, Fondue, was awarded the 2019 Ledbury Forte Prize.[7] Blakemore's debut novel The Manningtree Witches won the 2021 Desmond Elliott Prize.
Books edit
The Glutton (2023)
Set in 18th Century France, the novel fictionalises the true life story of novel of Tarare, an impoverished boy in revolutionary France, who becomes known as The Glutton of Lyon for having an insatiable appetite and eating all manner of things.
The Manningtree Witches (2021)
Blakemore's first novel is a fictional account of the Essex witch trials published by Granta Books (UK) and Catapult (US). It was positively reviewed in The Guardian, and was the winner of the Desmond Elliott Prize 2021.[8][9][10]
My Tenantless Body (2019)
Blakemore translated Sichuanese poet Yu Yoyo's collection of poetry in collaboration with Dave Haysom. This collection was published by the Poetry Translation Centre as part of their World Poets Series.[11]
Fondue (2018)
A full-length collection of poetry, published by Offord Road Books and awarded the 2019 Ledbury Forte Prize for Best Second Collection.[7]
pro ana (2016)
Poetry collection published by If a Leaf Falls Press.[3]
Humbert Summer (2015)
Full-length collection of poetry, published by Eyewear Publishing after Blakemore won the 2014 Melita Hume Prize. She was interviewed on Lunar Poetry Podcast about this collection, reading five of the poems.[12]
Amy's Intro (2012)
Debut poetry collection, published by Nasty Little Press.[3]
Articles and anthologies edit
Blakemore has written for and been featured in various literary publications including: The White Review,[2] the Poetry Foundation,[13] Partisan Hotel,[14] Ambit,[15] the Poetry Society,[16] and Poetry London.[17]
Her work has been anthologised in Bloodaxe Books' Voice Recognition; 21 Poets for the 21st Century, UEA Publishing Project's Stop/Sharpening/Your/Knives, and Salt Publishing's The Best of British Poetry 2015.[17]
References edit
- ^ "A.K. Blakemore: Wine, Morrissey and improving poetry". 10 March 2015.
- ^ a b c "A. K. Blakemore". The White Review. Retrieved 5 April 2021.
- ^ a b c d e "A K Blakemore (poet) - United Kingdom - Poetry International". www.poetryinternational.org. Retrieved 5 April 2021.
- ^ a b c "A.K. Blakemore: Wine, Morrissey and improving poetry". Artefact. 10 March 2015. Retrieved 5 April 2021.
- ^ "Manifesto: A.K. Blakemore – "The flower is forever my captain" – The Poetry Society". poetrysociety.org.uk. Retrieved 5 April 2021.
- ^ "AK Blakemore". Greenbelt. Retrieved 5 April 2021.
- ^ a b "AK Blakemore | United Agents". www.unitedagents.co.uk. Retrieved 5 April 2021.
- ^ O’Donnell, Paraic (12 March 2021). "The Manningtree Witches by AK Blakemore review – a darkly witty debut". The Guardian. Retrieved 5 April 2021.
- ^ "The Manningtree Witches by AK Blakemore review – menacing and thrilling debut". The Guardian. 29 March 2021. Retrieved 5 April 2021.
- ^ McKenna, Steph. "The Desmond Elliott Prize 2021". National Centre for Writing. Retrieved 1 September 2022.
- ^ "Interview with AK Blakemore". www.poetrytranslation.org. 2 August 2019. Retrieved 5 April 2021.
- ^ Ep. 52 - Amy K Blakemore (transcript available), retrieved 5 April 2021
- ^ Foundation, Poetry (5 April 2021). "father's last escape by A. K. Blakemore". Poetry Magazine. Retrieved 5 April 2021.
- ^ "A.K. Blakemore — Hotel". partisanhotel.co.uk. Retrieved 5 April 2021.
- ^ "Ambit". ambitmagazine.co.uk. Retrieved 5 April 2021.
- ^ "A.K. Blakemore – The Poetry Society: Poems". Retrieved 5 April 2021.
- ^ a b "An Epidemic of the Heart by A K Blakemore". Poetry London. 23 September 2018. Retrieved 5 April 2021.
External links edit
- @akblakemore on Twitter