Synopsis
Hold Your Own, Kae Tempest's first full-length poetry collection for Picador is an ambitious, multi-voiced work based around the mythical figure of Tiresias.
This four-part work follows him through his transformations from child, man and woman to blind prophet; through this structure, Tempest holds up a mirror to contemporary life in a direct and provocative way rarely associated with poetry.
'Dazzling' – Metro
'Mesmerising' – The Observer
'A game-changer' – The Independent
Part of the Picador Collection, a series celebrating fifty years of Picador books and showcasing the best of modern literature.
Details
10 September 2026
112 pages
9781035039173
Imprint: Picador
Reviews
“Poet, performer, novelist: the rise of the uncategorisable Kate Tempest”Laura Barton, The Guardian
“Tempest's voice looks to be one we will be hearing for some while to come”Laura Barton, The Guardian
“Dazzling wordsmithery . . . As anyone who has seen her perform will know, she doesn't just paint pictures with words when she performs, she paints fireworks in the night sky”Claire Allfree, Metro
“A winning wielder of words . . . The common thread through Tempest's diverse work is her love of words. In mesmerising rhyme and galloping rhythm, her passion for the classics collides with urban street slang, social observation, consumerism and the concerns of contemporary youth”Michael Hogan, The Observer
