The Wickedest

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

‘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

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

‘Hypnotic and freewheeling’ Kit Fan, Guardian

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

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

‘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

‘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

‘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

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

‘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

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

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

‘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

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

Caleb Femi is a writer, director and photographer, and was featured in the Dazed 100 list of the next generation shaping youth culture. Femi’s award-winning debut poetry collection, Poor, was published in 2020 by Penguin, and won the Forward Prize for best first collection in 2021. It was shortlisted for the Rathbones Folio Prize, longlisted for the Jhalak Prize, was selected as a Book of the Year by the New Statesman, Financial Times, Guardian, Observer, Rough Trade and the BBC, and was added to AQA’s English Literature GCSE syllabus in the UK in 2022. He has directed TV episodes for HBO, the BBC and Netflix, as well as commercials, high-fashion films and runway shows. From 2016 to 2018 he was the Young People’s Laureate for London, working with young people on a city, national and global level.