Hollie McNish – författare

'Like Pam Ayres on acid' LEMN SISSAY'Energising, fearless and joyful' SARA PASCOE'Hollie has such a wonderful voice. Warm, relatable, smart and funny' SOPHIE ELLIS-BEXTOR'Funny, so smart and refreshingly honest' SARAH MILLICAN'One of the best poets we have' MATT HAIGVirgin snowVirgin mojitosVirgin motherVirgin MaryVirgin: one little six-letter word that holds such incredible power. The power to pressure, to judge, to harm, to praise, to profit, to punish. But virginity is also just a concept, a label that has been pressed upon people for centuries in numerous cultures worldwide.In this highly anticipated collection of poetry, Hollie McNish unpicks the role this word has played in her own life, as well as others, with her trademark mix of humour, fury and compassion. Whether considering if Mary was a fan of her own nickname, to rejoicing her annual excitement in ice cream vans, to looking back on how ridiculously she ate creamy mashed potato with her family after apparently 'losing' her own virginity, she examines in her own inimitable way the tracks this concept makes throughout so many minds, and the possibilities of freedom.At times hilarious, at times harrowing, always hopeful - a poetic love letter against the more nefarious effects of purity culture packed with stacks of honeycomb, hand holds and early morning light.

THE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER'An intoxicating mixture of poetry and prose, Slug is a taboo-busting delight' SCOTSMAN 'One of the best poets we have' MATT HAIG 'She writes with honesty, conviction, humour and love' KAE TEMPESTThe bestselling collection of poetry and prose from the Ted Hughes Award-winning author of Nobody Told MeFrom Finnish saunas and soppy otters to grief, grandparents and Kellogg's anti-masturbation pants, Slug is a book which holds a mirror lovingly up to the world, past and present, through Hollie's driving, funny, hopeful poetry and prose. Slug is about the human condition: of birth and death and how we manage the possibilities in between.'The inimitable words of poet/goddess Hollie McNish once again hold up honest, damn funny and refreshing takes on the everydayness of our lives . . . Never have we needed her more' STYLIST'Hollie always articulates exactly how I feel' CHARLY COX'A tribute to life itself' RED

Cherry Pie is 2015 collection from Ted Hughes Award and Arts Foundation Award winner Hollie McNish, inspired by her grandparents' advice on newspapers, war, sex and tinned cherries. The poems collected in Cherry Pie hold personal meaning for Hollie and are also those which have been frequently requested by audiences in theatres, pubs, festival tents, schools and youth clubs up and down the UK. The book is illustrated by some of Hollie's favourite artists and illustrators.Cherry Pie includes Hollie's poem Mathematics (1.9 million hits on YouTube) as well as Bungalows and Biscuits which was shortlisted for Best Factual New Media Content About Older People's Issues in the Older People in Media Awards. Her poetry has received over 3.5 million YouTube views; more than most political speeches, less than a cat dancing to 80's pop music.

The belief in the concept of virginity loss, as well as causing us much gossip in the school playground, has led to unimaginable atrocities now and for centuries past. The concept has been used to justify exclusion, ostracisation, forced marriage, torture, imprisonment, rape and murder.Virgin is a word that holds incredible power - when we're not using it to describe clean white snow, olive oil and non-alcoholic drinks. In this exciting new collection of poems Hollie McNish dissects the the concept of virginity: its history, social impact, problematic nature and need to dismantle it.

Winner of the Ted Hughes Award for New Work in Poetry'This book should be required reading for anyone thinking of having a baby, or even anyone who knows someone who is thinking of having a baby' Scotland on Sunday'Fascinating and honest' Mumsnet'Like talking to a friend' ObserverThere were many things that Hollie McNish didn't know before she was pregnant. How her family and friends would react; that Mr Whippy would be off the menu; how quickly ice can melt on a stomach. These were on top of the many other things she didn't know about babies: how to stand while holding one; how to do a poetry gig with your baby as an audience member; how drum'n'bass can make a great lullaby. And that's before you even start on toddlers. But Hollie learned. And she's still learning, slowly. Nobody Told Me is a collection of poems and stories; Hollie's thoughts on raising a child in modern Britain, of trying to become a parent in modern Britain, of sex, commercialism, feeding, gender and of finding secret places to scream once in a while.

A brand-new collection from the award-winning poet, the companion piece to the Sunday Times bestselling Slug'Funny, so smart and refreshingly honest' SARAH MILLICAN'Hollie McNish's words always sweep me away' GIOVANNA FLETCHERThis book is written out of both hate and love for the worldAs people, we are capable of both love and hate; amazement and disgust; fun and misery. So why do we live in a world that is constantly telling us to hate, both ourselves and others? We are told to be repulsed by our own bodies, bodies that let us laugh and sweat and eat toast; to be ashamed of pleasure; to be embarrassed by fun. In this collection, Hollie McNish brings her inimitable style to the question of what have been taught to hate, and if we might learn to love again.'Never have we needed her more' STYLIST'I've loved her work for years' JO BRAND'She writes with honesty, conviction, humour and love' KAE TEMPEST

A brand-new collection from the award-winning poet, the companion piece to the Sunday Times bestselling Slug'Funny, so smart and refreshingly honest' SARAH MILLICAN'Hollie McNish's words always sweep me away' GIOVANNA FLETCHER'Bold, hilarious and tender' SALENA GODDENThis book is written out of both hate and love for the worldAs people, we are capable of both love and hate; amazement and disgust; fun and misery. So why do we live in a world that is constantly telling us to hate, both ourselves and others? We are told to be repulsed by our own bodies, bodies that let us laugh and sweat and eat toast; to be ashamed of pleasure; to be embarrassed by fun. In this collection, Hollie McNish brings her inimitable style to the question of what have been taught to hate, and if we might learn to love again.'Never have we needed her more' STYLIST'I've loved her work for years' JO BRAND'She writes with honesty, conviction, humour and love' KAE TEMPEST

A modern retelling of Sophocles' classic play, Antigone, by bestselling writer and poet Hollie McNishAs the daughter of Oedipus, Antigone was dealt a cruel hand at birth - even within the bounds of Grecian tragedy. When her brothers are slain fighting for the throne of Thebes, Antigone finds herself pitted against her uncle, the newly crowned King Creon. In defiance of the king, Antigone buries her brother's body, a choice she may pay for dearly.In this new adaptation, we see Sophocles' play reignited by bestselling poet and writer Hollie McNish. Hollie's considered retelling brings Sophocles' original text to a modern-day audience, illuminating the remarkable resemblances between ancient Greek thought and the society we grapple with today.'[Hollie McNish] writes with honesty, conviction, humour and love . . . She's always been one of my favourites' Kae Tempest

The women you’ve seen play today, we are more than football players, more than athletes and sportspeople of the very highest degree. We are heroines or heroes - or however you wanna say it – and we should be taking our place on posters and platforms and TV stations, changing the way perfect is thought of, changing the way girls can be brought up. Offside tells the story of women’s football in the UK through the eyes of a modern professional female footballer as she seeks to find a future in the game through exploring its past.Mickey is alone in the locker room; she deliberates with herself about the biggest decision of her life, her career, her love – her football. But in a world where sexism is rife and a feeling of self-limitation reduces opportunities, fear makes for poor decisions while joy flourishes in the unlikeliest of places.Offside has been researched with top women’s teams, Manchester City Women’s FC and Millwall Lionesses, where many players, sports scientists and others who are integral to the development of the game have been interviewed to gain an in-depth insight into their world. The play blends a dramatic narrative with performance poetry and chanting to evoke the pace and passion of the women’s game.The production, by Futures Theatre, has been developed in partnership with the National Football Museum, Manchester, and the IWM, London.

A wise, rude, sharp poetry collection encompassing a life from childhood to attempted adulthood, from one of the most important poets of the new generation.'She writes with honesty, conviction, humour and love. She points out the absurdities we've grown too used to and lets us see the world with fresh eyes.' – Kae TempestHollie McNish, winner of the Ted Hughes Award for Poetry, has thrilled and entranced audiences the length and breadth of the UK with her compelling and powerful performances. Plum, her debut for Picador Poetry, is a wise, sometimes rude and piercingly candid account of her memories from childhood to attempted adulthood. This is a book about growing up, about flesh, fruit, friendships, work and play – and the urgent need to find a voice for the poems that will somehow do the whole glorious riot of it justice.Throughout Plum, McNish allows her recent poems to be interrupted by earlier writing from her younger selves – voices that speak out from the past with disarming and often very funny results. Plum is a celebration, a salute to a life in which we are always growing, stumbling, falling, changing and discovering new selves to add to our own messy store. It will leave the reader in no doubt as to why McNish is considered one of the most important poets of the new generation.