Minx in the Guardian I'm super excited to announce that Minx has made it into the pages of the Guardian newspaper as one of Rishi Dastidar's 'Best Poetry of 2025'. Here's what Rishi had to say about her... ‘Karen Downs‑Barton’s debut /Minx/ (Chatto & Windus) was similarly eye-catching, unsparingly…

i Newspaper Article

This is going to be the best blether on belonging, language and poetry @edbookfest.bsky.social. So excited to be chairing Karen on her beautiful collection - Minx @karendownsbarton.bsky.social. See you next week #EdBookFest #poetry

Minx at Edinburgh International Book Festival I'm excited to share that next week I'll be at #EdBookFest, in conversation with the lovely Shasta Hanif Ali about what it means to belong, and how exploring belonging is at the core of Minx. Expect the unexpected in this conversation that looks at the…

Friday at Ledbury Poetry Festival It's just four days until Ruth Padel and I take to the stage at the Burgage Hall in Ledbury. We'll be reading from our books, discussing female mythologies and how poetry creates a unique space for reconfiguring ideas of what it is to be female. Join us online or…

Yola and I were the first through the door of Bert’s Books this morning because my order of Rhian Elizabeth’s book ‘maybe I’ll call Gillian anderson’ had arrived. Yay and Woo-Hoo! @brokensleepbooks.bsky.social @bertsbooks.bsky.social

Appearing at Edinburgh International Book Festival I'm excited to announce that I'll be appearing at the Edinburgh International Book Festival on Thursday August 14th. The theme this year is 'Repair' and as ever I'll be coming at this thought provoking title in a minxy way, through concepts of…

Spotted today in Bert’s Books, Minx was snuggling between E.E. Cummings and T.S.Elliot. She couldn’t have been in better company. Of course, I signed her. @bertsbooks.bsky.social @penguinukbooks.bsky.social #Chatto&Windus #writingfromthemargins #poetsagram #poetsandwriters

Poetry and performance with Ian McMillan @R4TheVerb Sun 17:10 BBC Radio 4 Faroese writer Carl Jóhan Jensen, Anglo-Romani poet @karendownsbarton.bsky.social‬, Cristóbal Bianchi, cofounder of the Casagrande Collective, and Luton Town FC poet-in-residence Naz Knight. www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m...

Minx on The Verb Yesterday I was at Media City to record a session for BBC Radio 4's much loved The Verb hosted by Ian McMillan. It was fantastic to read three poems from Minx, explore a neon line from Faroese poetry, hear about activism through 'poetry bombs,' and meet Naz, poet in residence at…

Foyles New Romani Writing: Damian Le Bas, Karen Downs-Barton, Madeline Potter, Chaired by Bidisha Join poets, travel writers and academics at Foyles for a discussion chaired by Bidisha on Romani culture and contemporary Romani writing. Wednesday 28th May, 7-8.30pm. Tickets: £10 General Admission /…

Ledbury Festival with Ruth Padel I'm excited to announce that I'll be at Ledbury Literature Festival on Friday July 4th with the wonderful Ruth Padel. We'll be at Burgage Hall from 4pm and if you can't be with us in person the event is being live streamed on Vimeo. Fabulous! The festival…

Minx featured on Louise Wilford’s Showcase I was honoured to be invited to be interviewed by Louise Wilford for her literary blog recently. There were questions that took us to some wonderfully diverse areas including portable writing spaces, cocktail alchemy, plus of course sharing poems from…

I’m still buzzing from my book launch last week at the @lrb.co.uk Sending a huge ‘thank you’ to all my guests, Sarah Howe for chairing the event, my lovely agent Elise, and the wonderful staff at the London Review Bookshop. #minx

Launch Day I’m sending out a massive ‘Thank You’ to all the lovely people who came to @lrbbookshop on Tuesday evening to celebrate #Minx and launch her into the world.

Minx a Dainty Dish at Foyles I was having a day out in London and popped into Foyles for some essential browsing and bookish sustenance in their cafe and who should I see cheekily sitting on a table in the poetry department? Minx! She was in great company next to Anthony Joseph, Lemn Sissay and a…

Minx Launch Day I woke up this morning full of the joys of Collection Launch Day. Yes, Minx is finds herself moving out into the wide world as of this morning. I hope she finds a home on your hands, hearts, and shelves.

Canal Life A day by the canal at Dundas, talking to inspiring strangers, collecting wild garlic, came home and read a great review of Minx by Shash Trevett in the Poetry Book Society spring bulletin. Who could ask for more?

Bookish Serendipity Today I was lured into @bertsbooks by the thought that I needed another book to swell my already bulging shelves. What a delight to find something enticing inside plus find my spring @poetrybooksociety bulletin waiting on the doorstep. Doubly book blessed.

Local Imagine my joy when I searched the website of my local independent bookshop for poetry and found my own little Minx available for pre-order. Thank you Bert's Books. I had an extra skip in my step all morning. Other local news this morning includes the blooming of the violets and primula's,…

Step Lightly Between the Wild Flowers Just 10 days until my little Minx steps past the early ransoms, crocuses and last of the snowdrops, pushes open the doors of bookshops and finds new homes with poetry lovers. I've enjoyed hearing where her imminent arrival is being spoken about. I have been…

Navigating Unexpected Places Minx is just 15 days from publication. Here is an endorsement from the lovely Romalyn Ante.

Minx in the Guardian I'm excited to share news that Minx has featured in The best recent poetry – review roundup by Philip Terry in the Guardian. Philip says of: MinxThis assured debut takes us into the heart of a precarious Anglo-Romany childhood on the edge of urban society, where casual bar…

The Planets Aligning I was honoured and moved by the words about Minx by Joelle Taylor when I read them on the books fly cover. ‘Minx is a splinter of a book, something that interrupts the body. It's a beautiful violence, each page a shock of poetry that renders an underclass family vivid. Rich,…

📢 We have had one place open up on our sold out online workshop with @pascalepetit.bsky.social this Saturday 22 Feb, 1-4pm UK. If you missed out and would like to take this up please email 📧press[at]outspokenldn[dot]com

Minx with Blackbird Feathers I’m posting my weekly update about Minx and her travels a little early as I’ll be on some travels myself midweek. I wanted to share Pascale Petit’s generous words about her with you. ‘Every poem in Minx is an enthralling read. Karen Downs-Barton’s gifts are a…

An excellent analysis of why we should rejoin from @yorkshirebylines.co.uk

I’m delighted to share these lovely words about my forthcoming book, Minx, by Lemn Sissay. @penguinbooks.bsky.social #PoetsOfBluesky #workingclasspoets #poets #booklaunch

Minx Cover Reveal I'm excited to finally be able to reveal the cover for my new collection, Minx. She's due to be released into the wide world on March 20th but here is a sneak preview of the cover. I'm sending huge thanks to Jackie Kay ( @jackiekaypoet) and Lemn Sissay ( @sissaylemn ) for their…

Recording Minx – the Audiobook I'm super excited to announce that on Friday I was at Penguin Random House with my lovely editor, Sarah Howe, to record an audiobook version of my collection. It was a wonderful day starting with a visit to Battersea Power Station for lunch - Wagamama - a new…

Word of the day is ‘catch-fart’ (17th century: an obsequious individual who will always follow the political wind.

Word of the Day is ‘uhtcearu’ [ucht-kay-aru, with the 'ch' as in the Scottish ‘loch']: Old English for ‘the sorrow before dawn', when you lie awake in the darkness and worries crowd your mind.

From Poems to Pamphlet 22 January 2025 - 12 February 2025, 6:00 pm - 8:00 pm (UK), £40.00, Online. LAST THREE PLACES I'm delighted to announce that I will be running a series of four workshops for Creative Future focusing on ways to move beyond a group of poems to a successful pamphlet. The course…

I knew Elon had a bunch of kids, but I’ve only ever seen him with the one he used as a human shield after that CEO was shot.

Word of the Day is one I keep posting at the end of the year, hoping its time will come. ‘Respair’, from the 16th century, is fresh hope, and a recovery from despair. Here’s to a few drops of respair in 2025.

The End of the Affair Just when my family thought it was safe to enter the kitchen I find new ways to celebrate the end of the festive season. Mwah ha ha… A Santa that plays ‘We Wish You a Merry Christmas’ while blowtorching the hob hood. Excellent.

Twixmas Today, the zone betwixt Christmas and New Year, was a day of preparations for the launch of Minx by Chatto and Windus. Yes, I know she won't skip into bookshops until March 20th but time is a dandelion clock in her hand and I know she'll purse her lips and blow. To keep the seeds of time…

Four years ago I was reading a poetry book when this photograph of myself and my sister Faye floated out from between its pages. I thought it had been lost forever. Wishing you all such serendipitous moments when you’re reading. #poetsonbluesky #poetsmuse #MinxOnTheRoad #childrenincare #penguinbooks

Spending a few days with family in #Devon. Tonight I’m in #Chagford and the view from my window is rather Christmasy and lovely. #Christmas #poetsmuse #MinxOnTheRoad #poetsonbluesky #writerscommunity

If there’s a brain drain from the US of scientists and, well, just highly-capable educated people… …we in Europe should take them in.

Thursday was somewhat eventful in #camden at the Jazz Cafe for the #tanhaicollective LP launch. #jazz #cherrybellini #perfectpizza #tempura #artichoke

Word of the morning is ‘williwaw’ (19th century): a sudden violent squall or a toppling gust of wind. Goes well with ‘thunderplump’: a sudden downpour that soaks you to the skin in seconds.

📣 It's the final week of 16 Days of Activism, which is dedicated to raising awareness and combatting gender-based violence. Over the next few days, there will be readings, a workshop, and an open mic. More info here: bit.ly/4imUbca

I’m so delighted to receive my copy of Kin, an anthology of poetry, stories, and art by women from Romani, Traveller, and nomadic communities. Nestled in there amongst all the fantastic work are three poems of my own loving their neighbours. #OpresRoma #poetsmuse #Poetsonbluesky

If youre still looking for your tribe, here’s a directory of hundreds of starter packs covering all interests and searchable by keyword. Repost and check it out.

Covid corruption commissioner starts fraud probe Well I hope he gets a lot of our money back after the Tories and their PPE corruption.. And I also hope some of the profiteering wrong 'uns go to jail Let's see. www.bbc.com/news/article...

After last night’s poetry reading (with harpist interludes!) I returned to prepare an overnight #sourdough bread. No kneading. No second rise. No fuss. But plenty of lopsided flavour. #LazyBaker #poetsmuse #healthyliving

Word of the day is ‘sequaciousness’ (16th century): the slavish and reckless following of another person in matters of thought or opinion.

Every year, GS provides Christmas Dinner for people who have been in the care system who may not have anywhere else to go on a day when family can be thin on the ground. Christmas Dinners are held around the country and they always needs funds, support and help. Details below. Please share.