Hooray! Burning Eye Books has been shortlisted for the Most Innovative Publisher at the Saboteur Awards! That’s something to smile about! Shortlist voting continues until 27th May and whilst we’d love for you to vote for us, we’re here to tell you why you should vote for the Burning Eye poets up for awards this year instead.

 

Up for Best Spoken Word Performer are THREE Burning Eye poets, Sophia Walker, Emily Harrison and Jemima Foxtrot. (Last year, Hollie Poetry won and Sophia was the runner up). Sophia Walker is a tried and tested performer with confidence just wavering on her lips, waiting to get out. She is inspiring, funny, no-nonsense and almost unbearably good. Sophia’s show Cult Friction is also up for Best Spoken Word Show off the back of a brilliant run at Edinburgh Fringe last year AND her COP21 performance is shortlisted for the Wildcard award.

Emily Harrison’s I Can’t Sleep ‘Cause My Bed’s on Fire was released last month with us and has been one of our highest selling books. Her performances reflect the dry witty feminism and poignant sarcasm of the collection. She is rightfully prickly, but kind and approachable in her manner and knows how to command an audience.

Jemima Foxtrot has a forthcoming collection with Burning Eye, so we’re thrilled to promote her for this category. If you’ve ever seen Jemima perform, you’ll know that her musical interludes bring her performances into the immediate present and her colourful perspective. Her story-telling is accessible and playful and her show Melody is also on the shortlist for Best Show.

If you’ve still yet to vote, please keep our lovely poets in mind (and us, of course, we’d love to win really!) and consider our special mentions:

Best Spoken Word Show

If You’re Happy And You Know It – Take This Survey by Agnes Török

God Save the Teen by Andrew ‘Mulletproof’ Graves

Best Pamphlet

Nothing here is wild, everything is open by Tania Hershman (Southword Editions)

Voting for the shortlists are open until 27th May – cast your votes here!