Trapeze takes on anthology curated by Young People’s Laureate for London

Trapeze will publish an anthology curated by Cecilia Knapp, the Young People’s Laureate for London. 

Editor Marleigh Price has acquired world rights for Everything is Going to be All Right: Poems for When You Really Need Them from Becky Thomas at Johnson and Alcock. It will be published in hardback in June 2021. 

Trapeze said: “Curated by Knapp, the anthology features four of her own poems, alongside a mix of those from the canon, such as Emily Dickinson and Langston Hughes, as well as modern voices including Hollie McNish, Raymond Antrobus, Salena Godden and Dean Atta. Tackling themes such as loneliness, heartbreak, self-love and grief, the collection aims to offer the reader a feeling of comfort, connection and hope in times of isolation.”  

Knapp is a poet, playwright and novelist, and is the current Young People’s Laureate for London, having previously served for two years as resident poet for Great Ormond Street Hospital. She is also an ambassador for mental health charity CALM. 

Knapp said: “When I was asked to put this anthology together, I jumped at the chance. A book that centres joy and hope feels like it’s really needed right now. I want whoever picks up this book, whether they’re a seasoned poetry reader or not, to feel a hand reaching out from the pages, to feel that shifting that happens when you read a poem. The poems I’ve chosen, I know, will do this. From old favourites, to new voices, this anthology is full of magic. It was nothing short of a pleasure to curate.” 

Price said:  “It is such a privilege to be working with Cecilia Knapp on this anthology, and to have such a stellar list of poets included within the collection. Cecilia has hand-selected a truly extraordinary range of poems, and at a time in which so many of us have felt so isolated, and with our collective mental health under more strain than ever, I hope this beautiful, timely collection will serve to offer a much-needed dose of joy, as well as hopefully introducing readers to some of the best poets writing today.”