A Guardian Best Poetry Book of 2023

Octopus Mind plays with an array of rich and original metaphors to explore the intricacies of neurodiversity, perception and the human mind.

These poems articulate the desire to understand and be understood by oneself and others in a complex world. They observe the nuances of creativity, art, relationships, and self-expression through the lens of neurodiversity, reflecting on the poet’s experience of being diagnosed with dyspraxia as an adult. The challenges but also the gifts of neurodiversity are revealed in poems which perform a kind of magic or sleight of hand.

Through obsession, self-deception, realisation, and acceptance, we are reminded of the possibilities of what it means to be human.