All The Names Given
2021
Publisher
Picador (Pan Macmillan)
Finalist for the T. S. Eliot Prize 2021
A Guardian Best Book of the Year
Poetry Book Society Choice
”[Raymond Antrobus] has built another beautiful paper house which you can spend a very long and deeply satisfying time inside.
Mark Haddonauthor of The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time
In his second collection, All The Names Given, Raymond Antrobus delves deeper into themes of identity, heritage, and communication. Building upon the foundation of his acclaimed debut, The Perseverance, this collection explores the intersections of language, memory, and lineage.
The poems traverse personal and historical landscapes, from intimate family narratives to broader reflections on colonialism and cultural identity. Antrobus examines the weight of his surname, uncovering ancestral ties and the complexities they entail. The collection is interspersed with [Caption Poems], inspired by Deaf sound artist Christine Sun Kim, which serve to bridge the silences between pieces, offering a unique textual rhythm that mirrors the nuances of communication.
Formally inventive and emotionally resonant, All The Names Given stands as a testament to Antrobus’s evolving poetic voice, offering readers a profound exploration of self and society.
”Moving deftly between tenderness and violence, hope and grief, praise and lament, this is a deeply evocative collection that will linger in the reader’s mind.
The Guardian
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IlOe2ji1dDk
All The Names Given
Language Signs
”What a beautiful book Raymond Antrobus has written! I love it. So much pain, so much tenderness, so much music and invention and passion in All The Names Given. Truly, it is terrific.
Ilya KaminskyAuthor of Deaf Republic