What thrives here is not always what would find its way into a slim Faber volume. Some arrive from the spoken-word circuit, others from more traditional literary routes, but all have found a way to make poetry feel less like something to pick over in seminar rooms and rather something immediately resonant enough to send a friend at 11pm. Here, them, are a handful worth following if, like us, you would like more poetry please.
Hollie McNish
@holliepoetry
If you like contemporary poetry, chances are you’re familiar with Hollie McNish. The Sunday Times bestselling author of Lobster and Slug, she scooped the Ted Hughes award for new work in poetry for her parenting memoir, Nobody Told Me. Writing on motherhood, politics, bodies and class, her work is direct, honest and often moving, as encapsulated perfectly in the wonderful Butter Knife. Follow her.
Harry Baker
@harrybakerpoet
It is, we think, near impossible to dislike World Poetry Slam champ Harry Baker, whose poetry walks a delicate line between the sweetly earnest and the self-deprecatingly funny. More than anything, we adore his ability to see the world for what it is and choose to celebrate the beauty inherent in it. But don’t be deceived – for all the laughter and gossamer lightness, his structures are clever and his words profound in their optimism. And we could all do with a little more of that right now. Follow him.
Rupi Kaur
@rupikaur_
It is impossible to talk about Instagram poetry without mentioning Rupi Kaur. Spare and emotionally direct, her style has been endlessly imitated – and occasionally derided – but her influence is undeniable. (She has penned four best-selling books and tours worldwide). Her posts are distilled to their essence: short lines, stark truths, all of them designed to for sharing extensively. Follow her.
Brian Bilston
@brian_bilston
Often dubbed the ‘Banksy of poetry,’ Bilston’s work is wry, political, sharply observant, and very online. His Instagram leans into the comic: Britishness, bureaucracy, all skewered with a light touch. With bestselling collections including You Took the Last Bus Home and Alexa, what is there to know about love?, as well as his Costa-shortlisted novel Diary of a Somebody, Bilston brings a refreshing levity to poetry, beckoning everyone in, from neophytes upwards. Follow him.
Nikita Gill
@nikita_gill
We love Nikita Gill’s advice for women should a man ever suggest that they are ‘too much’: ‘tell them to go and find less’. The Irish-Indian poet, playwright and author is particularly powerful on art as a tool for resistance. Her work often draws on mythology and folklore, especially feminist retellings of gods, monsters and heroines, alongside contemporary themes of power, survival and self-definition. Her latest book, Hekate, continues that thread. Follow her.
Charly Cox
@charlycox1
Charly Cox, who is also an author, artist and songwriter, writes about mental health, relationships and modern womanhood with a clarity that has struck a particular chord with a younger audience. Follow her.
Jackie Kay
@jackykaypoet
Former Scots Makar Jackie Kay, who is covered in literary awards, brings a different register altogether. Her Instagram feels like a window into an established literary life: readings, reflections, moments of humour and warmth. After all, not all poetry on social media need be bald, plain or simplistic; the platform is simply another place for it to live. Follow her.
Simon Armitage
@simonarmitage_official
Armitage’s presence on Instagram is relatively understated, but no less compelling for it. There is a real pleasure in seeing work from the Poet Laureate appear in the same feed as everything else– a levelling of sorts. Multi-award-winning, he remains beloved for his dark comedy and his searingly acute eye for modern life. Follow him.
