Macmillan acquires the Poetry Pharmacy series from Deborah Alma

Macmillan has acquired the Poetry Pharmacy series, compiled by Deborah Alma, the founder of the walk-in Poetry Pharmacy in Shropshire and inside the Lush Spa on Oxford Street in London.

The shops offer "prescriptions of poetry to address a person’s mood and feelings" and the new titles will also give "poetic medicine for life’s ailments".

Macmillan Children’s Books associate publisher Gaby Morgan bought world rights for the eight titles from Alma. The books are scheduled to be published in pairs as pocket-sized hardbacks throughout 2025, launching in January with Poetry Pharmacy: Words for Love and Poetry Pharmacy: Comfort.

"Each book will be a much-needed balm for our busy lives, offering an array of poems to inspire, heal and comfort," the synopsis says. "Whether readers are looking to cope with matters of the heart, or want to find solace and tranquillity in wild spaces, there is a collection for everyone."

Alma said: "As an independent bookseller myself, it has been a joy to work with Macmillan on a series of small gift anthologies that I really believe fit a gap in the growing poetry and well-being market. Something to easily pull off the shelf with confidence, that can be recommended as good quality and accessible poetry to the customer asking for some sort of solace for themselves or a loved one."

Morgan added: "I am a Poetry Pharmacy fangirl—they are completely tuned into what readers are looking for emotionally and their themed shelving and achingly cool aesthetic welcome everyone in. A series of poetry books matching their perfectly curated sections made so much sense and I am so delighted to be working with Deborah and the Poetry Pharmacy team."