Urban Drift by Natalie Burdett

This first pamphlet by the West Midlands poet Natalie Burdett explores the delicate negotiations through which we relate to place and those around us. ‘Bobhowler’ highlights the power of language in unearthing forgotten experience. These tender but insightful poems explore what it means to be human, challenge expectations, and celebrate the hidden beauty and grace of the modern urban world. ‘Birmingham’ is an affecting love poem addressed to the city that is ‘blossoming new curves’. Rich in detail and with a distinctive musicality, you’ll be keen to return to these poems, and be rewarded by their depth of intelligence and heart.

When Natalie Burdett turns the brilliance of her attention on something – and it could be anything, from the wall of an old warehouse to a school blazer – she makes the reader see it with clarity and immediacy, and recognise it as if for the very first time. - Jean Sprackland