Description
Hot on the heels of the Birmingham Poet Laureate’s successful play GrimeBoy, The Broken Spine is proud to announce this new poetry chapbook from Casey Bailey. From This Soil is the fifth chapbook to be published by The Broken Spine.
Casey Bailey is a writer, performer and educator, born and raised in Nechells, Birmingham, UK. Casey is the Birmingham Poet Laureate 2020 – 2022.
Casey released his debut full collection of poetry, Adjusted in 2018 with Verve Poetry Press and his second collection Please Do Not Touch was published by Burning Eye in 2021. Casey’s poetry has featured in a number of anthologies and he was commissioned by the BBC to write The Ballad of The Peaky Blinders in 2019. In 2020 the poem was internationally recognised, winning a Webby Award. Casey has performed his poetry nationally, and internationally.
Casey was named as one of ‘Birmingham Lives’ Birmingham ’30 under 30’ of 2018. Casey was also recognised in 2019 when he was made a Fellow of the University of Worcester. Casey was named the Greater Birmingham Future Face of Arts and Culture 2020.
‘With Casey, we get to meet a story-teller as well as a poet, who is whining a kind of cinematic and musical language. I am so happy to see voices like his emerging from Birmingham.’
– Raymond Antrobus, author of The Perseverance.
‘An introspective look into the makings of Casey. From This Soil journeys through various experiences, however high or low. You feel his honesty, you feel his warmth, and rooted through this pamphlet, you feel his love.’
– Yomi Ṣode, author of Manorism
‘A poet of deep tenderness and social engagement, it’s easy to see why Casey Bailey has become so beloved to Birmingham. Here he gifts us poems of family and friends, love and loss, keeping close and letting go, all made so vivid and moving by his empathy and open-heartedness.’
– Liz Berry, author of Black Country