Virgin: one little six letter word that holds such incredible power. The power to pressure, to judge, to harm, to praise, to profit, to punish. But virginity is also just a concept, a label that has been pressed upon people for centuries in numerous cultures worldwide.

In this highly anticipated collection of poetry, Hollie McNish unpicks the role this word has played in her own life, as well as others, with her trademark mix of humour, fury and compassion. Whether considering if Mary was a fan of her own nick-name, to rejoicing her annual excitement in ice cream vans, to looking back on how ridiculously she ate creamy mashed potato with her family after apparently ‘losing’ her own virginity, she examines in her own inimitable way the tracks this concept makes throughout so many minds, and the possibilities of freedom.

At times hilarious, at times harrowing, always hopeful – a poetic love letter against the more nefarious effects of purity culture packed with stacks of honeycomb, hand holds and early morning light.

A brand-new collection from the award-winning poet, the companion piece to the Sunday Times bestselling Slug

‘Funny, so smart and refreshingly honest‘ SARAH MILLICAN

‘Hollie McNish’s words always sweep me away‘ GIOVANNA FLETCHER

As people, we are capable of both love and hate; amazement and disgust; fun and misery. So why do we live in a world that is constantly telling us to hate, both ourselves and others?

We are told to be repulsed by our own bodies, bodies that let us laugh and sweat and eat toast; to be ashamed of pleasure; to be embarrassed by fun.

In this collection, Hollie McNish brings her inimitable style to the question of what have been taught to hate, and if we might learn to love again.

‘Never have we needed her more‘ STYLIST

‘I’ve loved her work for years‘ JO BRAND

‘She writes with honesty, conviction, humour and love‘ KAE TEMPEST

A brand-new collection from the award-winning poet, the companion piece to the Sunday Times bestselling Slug

‘Funny, so smart and refreshingly honest‘ SARAH MILLICAN

‘Hollie McNish’s words always sweep me away‘ GIOVANNA FLETCHER

As people, we are capable of both love and hate; amazement and disgust; fun and misery. So why do we live in a world that is constantly telling us to hate, both ourselves and others?

We are told to be repulsed by our own bodies, bodies that let us laugh and sweat and eat toast; to be ashamed of pleasure; to be embarrassed by fun.

In this collection, Hollie McNish brings her inimitable style to the question of what have been taught to hate, and if we might learn to love again.

‘Never have we needed her more‘ STYLIST

‘I’ve loved her work for years‘ JO BRAND

‘She writes with honesty, conviction, humour and love‘ KAE TEMPEST

‘One of the best poets we have’ MATT HAIG

‘She writes with honesty, conviction, humour and love’ KAE TEMPEST

The new collection of poetry and prose from the Ted Hughes Award-winning author of Nobody Told Me

From Finnish saunas and soppy otters to grief, grandparents and Kellogg’s anti-masturbation pants, Slug is a book which holds a mirror lovingly up to the world, past and present, through Hollie’s driving, funny, hopeful poetry and prose. Slug is about the human condition: of birth and death and how we manage the possibilities in between.

‘The inimitable words of poet/goddess Hollie McNish once again hold up honest, damn funny and refreshing takes on the everydayness of our lives . . . Never have we needed her more’ STYLIST

‘Hollie always articulates exactly how I feel’ CHARLY COX

‘A tribute to life itself’ RED

As the daughter of Oedipus, Antigone was dealt a cruel hand at birth – even within the bounds of Grecian tragedy. When her brothers are slain fighting for the throne of Thebes, Antigone finds herself pitted against her uncle, the newly crowned King Creon. In defiance of the king, Antigone buries her brother’s body, a choice she may pay for dearly.

In this new adaptation, we see Sophocles’ play reignited by bestselling poet and writer Hollie McNish. Hollie’s considered retelling brings Sophocles’ original text to a modern-day audience, illuminating the remarkable resemblances between ancient Greek thought and the society we grapple with today.

‘[Hollie McNish] writes with honesty, conviction, humour and love . . . She’s always been one of my favourites’ Kae Tempest