The Wickedest

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What to expect

'Atmospheric and intoxicating' CANDICE CARTY-WILLIAMS

'A joyous, lyrical read' YOMI ADEGOKE

'Hypnotic and freewheeling' GUARDIAN

A GUARDIAN BOOK OF THE YEAR

WINNER OF THE SKY ARTS POETRY AWARD 2025

Caleb Femi returns with a landmark, life-affirming new poetry collection, The Wickedest.

This is a minute-by-minute depiction of a typical night at a legendary monthly house party known as 'The Wickedest'. Here, we meet a vivid cast of characters, young and old, all surfing a revelry steeped in camaraderie, community, desire and a spirit of jubilant defiance.

A modern epic, The Wickedest explores the institution of shoobs or house parties and their vital role within working-class communities. The poems range from classical English sonnets to experimental forms and are immersively interwoven with photographs, text messages and ephemera. The collection playfully dissembles parties – in space, sound, law and bureaucracy – to document the precarious existence of our nightlife venues.

In Caleb Femi's inimitable, cinematic style the book builds to a crescendo that is at once euphoric and grief-soaked. The Wickedest calls us to cast our minds to the moments we stood surrounded by our loved ones on a dancefloor, arms outstretched, and freed ourselves from the weight of reality to float.

‘One of London’s most renowned poets’ SALMA EL-WARDANY, BBC Radio London

‘I love the collection so much’ NICK GRIMSHAW, BBC Radio 6

'A near-holy experience' JONATHAN ESCOFFERY

'This is poetry that moves and is felt in the body' ANDREW MCMILLAN

Caleb Femi's collection, Poor, won the Forward Prize's Felix Dennis Prize for Best First Collection in 2021

Critics Review

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‘Atmospheric and intoxicating, lyrical and inviting' Candice Carty-Williams, author of People Person

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‘Immersive, rapturous writing that truly transports … A joyous, lyrical read that I won't soon forget … an exceptionally talented poet’ Yomi Adegoke, author of The List

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‘Made me want to go dancing … A clever concept elevated by wit and imagination’ Times

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'Hypnotic and freewheeling’ Kit Fan, Guardian

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‘One of London’s most renowned poets … His creativity unbound’ Salma El-Wardany, BBC Radio London

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‘I dream to be a Caleb Femi … I love the collection so much; I love everything about it’ Nick Grimshaw, BBC Radio 6

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‘The Wickedest crystalizes and forever elevates bashment in this pulsing, visceral fever dream … A near-holy experience’ Jonathan Escoffery, author of If I Survive You

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‘A mellifluously marvellous journey towards joy … pulses with Rhythm and Poetry at its most penetrating and picturesque’ Inua Ellams, author of The Half-God of Rainfall

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'Renders thrillingly tangible a world of moments in which the relationship between the DJ the riddim and the dancer is a kind of sacrament' Kayo Chingonyi, author of A Blood Condition

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‘A hypnotic, experiential happening of a book—essential reading for all’ Roger Robinson, author of A Portable Paradise

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'A riveting collection, bottled in a time capsule of nostalgia … These poems are as tender, as they are a vibe' Yomi Sode, author of Manorisms

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‘Stylish and wittily curated … It is fun, optimistic and beautiful to look at’ Financial Times

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‘A fresh, raw, and unflinchingly honest exploration of inner-city nightlife rooted in community, unpoliced joy and liberation’ Ope Oduwole, The Floor

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‘Femi weaves together text messages, photographs and English sonnets alike in a love letter to the distinctly British social institution that is the shoobz’ Dazed

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‘One of our best chroniclers of what it is like to live now’’ Guardian ‘The best poetry books of 2024’

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