Waiting for Godden: 'With Love, Grief and Fury' paperback launches with October news of shortlists and commendations...

NEW Paperback Edition

With Love, Grief and Fury

published by Canongate Books

09 October 2025

✨ 3 pieces of shiny news this month ✨

With Love, Grief and Fury

Shortlisted in Poetry Category

Books Are My Bag Readers Awards

It is a wonderful surprise and a huge honour to find my latest work With Love, Grief and Fury shortlisted for the Book Are My Bag Readers Awards and to see this book part of a list that is voted for by the people who love books for the people who love books and that means the world to me. I’m genuinely humbled and sending BIGlove and heartfelt thanks to book sellers and book lovers. Congratulations to all the other poets and authors and beautiful books. Thank you.

The Books Are My Bag Readers Awards are one of a kind. They're the only book awards curated by bookshops and chosen by readers. The Books Are My Bag Readers Awards include seven shortlists which are chosen by booksellers across the UK and Ireland, while the Readers' Choice Award – nominated and chosen entirely by readers – completes the set. The Books Are My Bag Readers Awards launched in 2016, in partnership with and sponsored by National Book Tokens

VOTE FOR YOUR FAVOURITE BOOKS HERE

Books Are My Bag Readers Awards 2025 key dates

Thursday 9 October, 9am

Books Are My Bag Readers Awards

Shortlist Announcement & Public Vote Opens

Sunday 26 October, 11:59pm

Books Are My Bag Readers Awards

Shortlist Public Vote Closes

Tuesday 4 November

Books Are My Bag Readers Awards

Winners Announcement & Ceremony Livestream

With Love, Grief and Fury

receives Special Commendation

from The Poetry Book Society

The Poetry Book Society (PBS) is delighted to announce their exciting Winter 2025 Selections. Founded by T.S. Eliot to share the joy of poetry, the Poetry Book Society leads the way in championing inclusive and innovative poetries. Curated by a panel of expert-poets, Yomi Ṣode, Victoria Kennefick, Shivanee Ramlochan, Alycia Pirmohamed and Yousif M. Qasmiyeh, the PBS Selections are a highly sought-after accolade marking the very best in contemporary poetry.

Special Commendation goes to Salena Godden’s With Love, Grief and Fury which PBS Selector Yomi Ṣode described as a timely “invitation to remember that whatever divides us, our humanity must never be forgotten” I'm a huge fan of PBS, it’s a beautiful list, I am in such glorious company here. I post this sending love and congratulations to all the poets and thank you so much to poetrybooks.co.uk

Performance of Dirty Old Men

Highly Commended in Forward Prizes

Best Single Poem - Performed

Thanks to Bad Betty Press for submitting a video of my performance with the Bad Betty crew in Nottingham. Check out the whole list, my poem is in great company, and I’m sending congratulations and appreciation to all. Thanks especially to the judges for sharing this undiluted fury, it is one of the most fierce protest poems in the With Love, Grief and Fury collection. Huge thanks to Bad Betty, Amy and Jake, for this surprise, for their support and outstanding contribution to poetry as a whole.

On a personal note - I feel heavy-hearted taking any praise and applause for this particular poem. It was written a while back now, however, today we see the dirtiest of Dirty Old Men gaining more power, wealth, votes and momentum, whilst lying to our faces, stripping human rights and profiteering in the deaths of people and planet.

The Forward Prizes for Poetry are the most influential awards for new poetry in the UK and Ireland, honouring fresh voices alongside internationally established names. The judges of the 2025 Prize are delighted to announce the Highly Commended poets for Best Single Poem – Performed Category.

See the full lists here: forwardartsfoundation.org

Click here to see 'Dirty Old Men' YouTube

Thank you for seeing me, hearing me, reading me, for voting for me. Thank you so much for coming with me on my poetry adventures. We are suddenly in the 2020’s and such a long way from my first gigs and early days and humble beginnings in the 1990’s and my first gigs, my home-made zines and poetry on cassette tapes.

I’m officially back on tour again now, the dates I have confirmed so far are below. My next two poetry shows are paperback launches in London at two very cool and beautiful venues. For east Londoners, tonight, Thursday October 9th, we will be at Libreria Bookshop, off Brick Lane, sharing poetry and conversations with poetry goddess Nikita Gill. Then for the Sohemians and west Londoners, we are having a poetry party with the gorgeous Poetry Pharmacy on Thursday October 16th. I reckon the Libreria show is sold out but there are a handful of spaces left for the Poetry Pharmacy bash, so join us for poems, cake and bubbles and Soho mischief there. Hope to see you soon, thank you for sharing this happy moment, it is a bit like buses, you wait years, then you get three in a row... See you here, see you there, thank you,

Keep fighting the good fight,

Xxsg