How to Find Where You Belong

Twenty years since moving from Canada to the UK, critically-acclaimed and multi-award-winning poet Rose Condo considers the features, facets and philosophies for determining a sense of belonging. This collection explores community, identity, personal growth and societal wellbeing through compassion, sharp political observation and finely honed humour. It is a love letter to home, wherever you might find it. Rose Condo is a Canadian poet and educator based in Prestwich, England. She performs her work nationally and internationally, was longlisted for the inaugural Jerwood Compton Poetry Fellowship, has won numerous poetry slams, and performed at the Royal Albert Hall in London. Her poetry show, The Geography of Me, won the 2021 Buxton Fringe Spoken Word Award, whilst The Empathy Experiment received critical acclaim at the 2019 Edinburgh Fringe and won Best Spoken Word Show at the 2019 Gtr Manchester Fringe. How to Starve an Artist was Best Spoken Word Show runner-up in the 2017 Saboteur Awards. Rose was a contributing writer to the groundbreaking anthology Spoken Word in the UK (eds. Lucy English & Jack McGowan, Routledge, 2021). “Beautifully written and deeply inspiring. Rose takes you on her journey; a journey with elements that you too have walked or felt. A book of community, of love and friendship.” — Sharena Lee Satti “The deft balance of touching sentiment and formal confidence makes these poems stand tall and demand attention – but so does the verve, the humour, the unbridled humanity of this work.” — Kevin P. Gilday “Transitions from charm, warmth and humour to quietly devastating poignancy. Filled with wonderfully honest observations on the human experience, this book belongs on every bookshelf.” — Lisa O’Hare