‘Floating. Sublime. Sublimated. Current location unknown.’

‘Rothko’, page 46

White Cloud Over Purple is a burst of colour, exploration, and creativity. Published in 2024 by Atomic Bohemian, this collection is page after page of rich, vibrant writing.

Favourite line:
‘Unless up through the darkness see everything, the dew, a moth turning to poison while the bee-mouth sips broken wire, a hurricane at each end it’s true that fresh air is good for the body’ Centosaurus on page 22.

It awakens all senses, ‘ I am smushing its flesh against the jaws of my mouth’, it is physical, ‘I am beyond segments, I am ripping out its heart’, it is unexpected, ‘Yes, I am eating a friendly baby orange dinosaur, with abandon and without regret. Roar!’

I’ve read this collection three times now, and each time I return to it, I feel I learn something different, something I hadn’t seen before. I wonder what I’ll discover on my next read through.

‘always ascending rising in time with the arc of the stars.’

‘for Pina Bausch, after Café Müller’, page 51

White Cloud Over Purple can be picked up here from Atomic Bohemian and costs £9.99.

‘the music plays on but the darkness is deafening’

‘DREAMS’, page 22

When deciding the first book I would review for my series, I went through my collection searching for something that reminded me of what I love most about reading. ‘Exorcism Becomes Habit’ by Nikki Dudley embodied this.

Published in 2023 by Hem Press, a fantastic independent publisher based in Glasgow, this collection is punchy, thought-provoking, and moving.

/ I’m trying to not be afraid of spiders / across my skin is a memory of movement / your fingers across the pores / break down this door / I saw inside and I saw /

‘SCARS’, page 17

Although every poem here delivers something wonderfully different, one of my favourite pieces is ‘FEELINGS’. Featuring stunning lines such as ‘crayons smell like sticky insides / I’ve pulled the plug out and it’s still attached / call me when you have time / call me again’ (FEELINGS, page 12), Nikki’s language is direct, intentional, and vivid.

Using all these perfectly broken snippets of images, Nikki’s collection explores feelings of uncertainty, negativity and vulnerability in a personal and honest way.

With ‘Exorcism Becomes Habit’, Nikki has crafted something extraordinary. I highly encourage you to pick it up and see what images resonate with you. With that, I’ll leave you with these gorgeous few lines from the book.

/ space is the biggest thing we know / hold me here until the lights come on / is morning the beginning or the end /

‘DISTANCE’, page 28

Exorcism Becomes Habit can be picked up here from Hem Press and costs £7.