Featured image: Lowri Simmons
Manchester Met final year English Literature student, Kane Crookes, has made his debut as a Gothic poet this autumn with the release of his first poetry book ‘Blooming Us’. Crookes’ book was published in October, marking a big milestone in his career and predominantly explores themes of nature with titles such as: ‘In the soil’, ‘Green’, and ‘Daffodil.’
“Snowflake-delicate memories was the initial formula to my poetry; a medium in which I could channel a ‘new’ appreciation for the natural world that surrounds me”, says Crookes discussing the primary theme of nature running throughout the collection.
While delving deeper into the themes of Blooming Us, Crookes adds: “It explores themes of nature, but also of the mind, love, desire, longing, and the inner shadows which make us all human.”
Crookes is proud of recently discovering his own neurodivergence and has been vocal about how he is able to use it to his advantage when expressing himself through poetry: “I am able to hyper-fixate on things, which means I am able to go deeper into my mind, and I am deeply observant of things around me. I am particularly observant of nature and my surroundings”.
Crookes cites this deep connection to nature as the reason writing his book came so naturally to him. He also regularly seeks inspiration from like-minded poets such as Ezra Pound and T.S. Elliot.
Crookes describes experiencing a recent “creative epiphany”, which ultimately led him to write Blooming Us. Though Crookes has considered himself a writer since he was 16, it wasn’t he entered the 2023 Manchester Writing School Competition at Manchester Met that he decided to explore writing poetry seriously.
Crookes told aAh! that he recently completed a weekend workshop in June 2024, ‘Reading Poetry as a Musical Exercise’ at The University of Cambridge, Madingley Hall which he describes as a “really valuable experience that taught me so much about the art of writing poetry.”
He also reveals his first step to publication was “a simple Google search.” He says: “I came across Grosvenor House Publishing online and I was drawn to them because they had made it very accessible on the website, with a step-by-step guide on how to become a published author.”
While exploring his abstract thought process further, Crookes says his writing practice is to “go deeper into my mind.” Crookes typically writes in “free verse poetry, whilst making use of imagistic techniques, and if I want to compress the poem then here comes a haiku, either intentional or accidental.”
When asked what advice Crookes would give to any aspiring poets, writers and artists, he says: “You must enjoy it. Don’t rush it and it will all fall into place.” If you’re passionate about something, he adds, “you can achieve anything with hard work and perseverance.”
Blooming Us by Kane Benjamin Crookes is available on Amazon and Waterstones.
Follow Kane on instagram @cacophonousletterp_
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