A bold and innovative poetry collection that explores identity, belonging, and the politics of "us" versus "them" with fierce intelligence and wit.
In Them!, Harry Josephine Giles delivers a provocative and essential collection that interrogates the boundaries between self and other, insider and outsider, belonging and exclusion. With characteristic sharp wit and formal innovation, Giles examines how societies create divisions and how individuals navigate the complex terrain of identity in contemporary Britain.
These poems tackle urgent questions about nationalism, gender, class, and community with both humor and gravity. Giles's voice is uncompromising yet deeply empathetic, exploring the ways in which "them" and "us" are constructed and maintained, while also celebrating the possibility of connection across difference.
From experimental forms to accessible lyrics, the collection showcases Giles's remarkable range and technical skill. The poems move between the personal and the political, the local and the global, creating a rich tapestry that speaks to our current moment of division and uncertainty while offering glimpses of hope and solidarity.
A vital and timely collection from one of Scotland's most exciting contemporary voices, Them! challenges readers to examine their own assumptions about identity and belonging.
Key themes: Identity politics, belonging and exclusion, contemporary Britain, nationalism, gender identity, community and division, social justice, experimental poetry