A Fire in My Head: Poems for the Dawn

By: Ben Okri

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Synopsis: From the renowned Booker Prize–winning author, a powerful collection of poems covering topics of the day, such as the refugee crisis, Black Lives Matter protests, and COVID-19. In our times of crisis The mind has its powers This book brings together many of Ben Okri&’s most acclaimed and politically charged poems. &“Grenfell Tower, June 2017&” was published in the Financial Times less than ten days after the fire, and Okri&’s reading of it was played more than six million times on Facebook. &“Notre-Dame Is Telling Us Something&” was first read on BBC Radio 4, in the aftermath of the cathedral&’s near destruction. It speaks eloquently of the despair that was felt around the world. In &“shaved head poem,&” Okri writes of the confusion and anxiety felt as the world grappled with a health crisis unprecedented in our times. &“Breathing the Light&” is his response to the events of summer 2020, when a Black man died beneath the knee of a white policeman, a tragedy sparking a movement for change. These poems and others, including poems for Ken Saro-Wiwa, Barack Obama, Amnesty International, and more, make this a uniquely powerful collection that blends anger and tenderness with Okri&’s inimitable vision.