Our book of the week is our Autumn 2026 Recommendation, Belling the Leopard by Clementine Ewokolo Burnley, published by Bloodaxe.
Clementine Ewokolo Burnley's far-reaching debut asks what remains after once-familiar places and people have gone. The poems criss-cross the Atlantic, beginning in the 1850s. The voices of Caribbean returnees to the west African coast mingle with those of German missionaries, and kidnappers. Her poems address the past only to illuminate what people can become to each other in the present, whether in Africa or Europe. In one sequence a group of university students from far-flung parts discover the freedoms of student halls in Glasgow. In other poems, a woman consults her scars. Each sight, sound or smell has its threat value in Germany, and children of mixed heritage switch between languages in Italy. Weary of searching outward, women drop anchor in themselves. Going back in search of belonging proves futile, only because connection was there all along.
Order Belling the Leopard here, with 25% off for PBS members.