When the pandemic movie is your own reality.

It is not surprising that most of the poems on our shortlist for April 2020’s Pick of the Month hover on the edge of dystopia. Is it Sam Wilson-Fletcher‘s ‘Blue’ that colours your world or what is lost in Anna Kisby‘s ‘Faceless extinctions’ or Zannah Kearns‘ ‘The Farmer’s Prayer’? Does the seductive unease of ‘Skunk’ by Z.D. Dicks draw you in or can you relate to Beth Booth‘s ‘To the Occupier’ or ‘Tenant’ by Nisha Bhakoo where home is not a place of safety?

All six of the shortlist have been chosen by Helen or Kate or received the most attention on social media. They can be found below or by clicking on ‘Vote for your April 2020 Pick of the Month′ in the Categories list to your right on the screen.

Voting is now closed. April’s Pick will be posted on Monday 18th May at 4pm (so as not to get lost in the Saboteur Awards’ outcomes or the Authors’ Club LitFestOnline and Best First Novel Prize over the weekend!)

For the lockdown period, our normal Pick ‘prize’ of £10 towards the UK charity of your choice or a National Book Token will rise to £30*. Charities and booksellers, both, have been hit hard by the shutdown and we wanted to make a (admittedly very small) gesture of support.

 

*Book tokens can only be used within the UK and will be divided between £20 for the winning writer and a £10 token for the person of their choice.