Division Street

Helen Mort is among the brightest stars in the sparkling new constellation of young British poets – Carol Ann DuffyOutstanding… There’s a confidence and wit that’s rare in a first book, but underlying it all is the bedrock of the north of England, its landscapes and stories. These are poems of passion, risk, tenderness and power – Michael Symmons Roberts, winner of the Forward Prize 2013There’s been a buzz around Helen Mort for a while, and her debut, Division Street, doesn’t disappoint – Suzi Feay * Independent *An excellent first poetry collection – lucid, intelligent, politically aware, and loyal to the landscape that inspired it. – Blake Morrison * Guardian Picks of the Year *Mort is a fast-rising star of British poetry… marked by a gritty urban lyricism and a terrific rhythmic vitality * i *A poet of exceptional talent, with a strong clear voice, a sure sense of metre and a poetic sensibility which has an unshakeable attachment to the real world. * Herald *Although Helen Mort is just 28, it’s surprising that Division Street is her first full collection – so frequently and impressively does her work appear in magazines and competitions… It’s a brilliant debut. – Bill Greenwell * Independent *A first class first full-length collection * Tribune *Gritty, witty, stylish and totally memorable. Division Street is a book which has something important to say, addressing a wide range of topics with novelty and intelligence. * John Glenday *The beauty of her debut collection is partly the sense that it has been written against the clock. Every poem is on the move… the style is satisfyingly Orwellian – no long words where a shorter one would serve. Nor is she a poetic detective assisting with mysteries. She knows when to let be and let go. – Kate Kellaway * Observer *

Helen Mort has published three collections of poetry- Division Street (2013), winner of the Fenton Aldeburgh First Collection Prize, No Map Could Show Them (2016) and The Illustrated Woman (2022). Her poetry has been shortlisted for the Forward, T. S. Eliot and Costa Prizes. She has written a novel, Black Car Burning (2019) and a short story collection, Exire (2019). Her creative non-fiction includes A Line Above The Sky (2022), winner of the Boardman Tasker Award, and Ethel (2024). She is a Professor in Creative Writing at Manchester Metropolitan University and lives in Sheffield.

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