THIS WEEK


The Black Issue 2022 Kayo Chingonyi


Chingonyi shares aspirations as he readies Bloomsbury’s first dedicated poetry list


Poet Kayo Chingonyi has joined Bloomsbury to oversee the publisher’s first poetry list in its 36-year history. Here he discusses curating the imprint, and the new voices the new voices he is excited to bring


Questions Natasha Onwuemezi


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How did you come to be working with Bloomsbury on this new poetry list? I was poetry editor for the White Review for three years and one of my frustrations in the role was seeing brilliant poets without a publisher, or without a publisher in the UK. When I leſt the White Review I put feelers out because I wanted to make a longer-term contribution to publishing by editing a list. I met with Paul [Baggaley] and Alexis [Kirschbaum] at Bloomsbury and our visions were totally aligned. Bloomsbury Poetry started there in 2020.


Why do you think now is the time for Bloomsbury’s first poetry list? Bloomsbury has published poetry now and again in the past but never had a dedicated list. I believe any publisher worth its salt should publish poetry and thankfully the senior leadership at Bloomsbury agree. Paul joined Bloomsbury from Picador which is a great model in having a practising poet serving as a poetry editor [poet Colete Bryce now leads the list, succeeding poet Don Paterson]. Alexis was instrumental in relaunching Penguin’s poetry list and so Paul and Alexis were already incredibly well-placed to do Bloomsbury Poetry—and I completed the equation.


What is most important to you while curating this list?


24 20th May 2022


There are as many kinds of poetry, and kinds of poet, as there are kinds of people. I see that abundance in what I’m reading lately


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