In 26 Poems For Cash, the new collaborative collection by Samatar Elmi and Sam Telford, each poet reinterprets thirteen poems by the other, creating a conversation that unfolds across twenty-six poems. Inspired by Aphex Twin's 26 Mixes For Cash, the collection approaches poetry as remix, response and reinvention.The poetry is both improvisational, riffing on sentiment, instinct and first impressions, and explorative, expanding on the core of the original poem to find deeper meaning. The result is a collection that feels like a compilation album in its own right: geographically wide-ranging, emotionally varied and consistently subversive.Written in remembrance and reflection, anger and jubilation, these poetic collaborations bring a distinctive new voice into contemporary poetry, one that is formed by two poets from two different Northern cities, creating regenerative originals.
Samatar Elmi is an award-winning poet musician. His debut collection The Epic of Cader Idris (Bloomsbury, 2024) received excellent reviews, and he is a Winner of the 2021 Geoffrey Dearmer Prize for the poem ‘The Snail.’ His debut pamphlet, Portrait of Colossus (flipped eye press, 2021), was selected as a PBS Pamphlet Choice. His poems have appeared in Poetry Review, Prairie Schooner, Magma, Poetry Wales, Iota and anthologised in More Fiya, Filigree, After Plath, and The Echoing Gallery. Elmi has performed at Laugharne Festival, Latitude Festival, London Literature Festival, Somali Week, Aldeburgh Poetry Festival, Cheltenham Poetry Festival, Poetry Society, Serpentine Gallery, Southbank Centre, Cardiff Millennium Centre, Oxford House, Whitechapel Gallery and Rich Mix. As Knomad Spock, he has released the albums Winter of Discontent, A Darker Light and Through the Walls to critical acclaim. He has also rapped on records with UK hiphop legends Chester P and Jehst, and released Preludes under the moniker Nomad.
Sam Telford is a Tyneside poet. He is the author of four collections of poetry, Back To The Bridge, Tabbash!, Newcassel (Kulvert) & A Dream Of The Sea (Cob Editions). His forthcoming collection Tars Of The Tyne will be released on Août Fecit. His collaborative works include Hotel Lobby with Mark Wright, Hua! Hua! Hua! with Joel Everett and 26 Poems For Cash with Samatar Elmi. His poetry has appeared with numerous small presses and he has performed poetry across the UK and Europe.
KV21
ISBN 9781917998116
74 pp.
A6 pocket paperback.
Printed on fully recycled paper.
