Samantha Wynne-Rhydderch’s debut collection for Picador introduces a young poet with a remarkable range of imaginative tactics at her disposal, and seems to announce not one, but several new voices. Not In These Shoes is an act of uncanny ventriloquism, and a distinct spirit haunts each of Wynne-Rhydderch’s meticulously drawn spaces. Whether conjuring the interior of a toy snowstorm, a flooded valley, a woman in a backless dress, a ship’s figurehead or a matador in a hotel room, Wynne-Rhydderch finds a voice that perfectly commands our attention.

‘A major voice in contemporary poetry. Razor-sharp wit, a singing vitality ... Read moreof language, and remarkable technical prowess' Penelope Shuttle

'Mysterious and erotic, heartfelt, sophisticated and immensely readable - there's not a page that doesn't stir the imagination. It's a book I've been waiting years to read' Robert Minhinnick