Alison Binney

The Opposite of Swedish Death Cleaning - Seren “Innovative, stirring poems … A poet adept at weaving devastating candour with humour and wordplay…”  – Rebecca Goss The Opposite of Swedish Death Cleaning is Alison Binney’s eagerly awaited debut col...

For anyone looking to buy ‘The Opposite of Swedish Death Cleaning’ as a Christmas gift, Seren books are offering £10 off all orders over £30 from now until the end of December. Just use the code ‘Xmas25’ at the checkout. www.serenbooks.com/book/the-opp...

Thanks, @mslexia.bsky.social! And to anyone not sure about entering this year’s Poetry Pamphlet Competition, give it a go, even if you’ve entered unsuccessfully before. This could be your year, and it’s a fantastic launch pad.

Congrats to our previous Poetry Pamphlet Competition winner, @alisonbinney.bsky.social who was Highly Commended in this year's @forwardprizes.bsky.social!

Her collection, The Opposite of Swedish Death Cleaning, is available from @serenbooks.bsky.social.

#poetry #poetrycommunity #amwritingpoetry

Really great to hear that, Juliet!

Photo of the Forward Book of Poetry alongside copies of The Opposite of Swedish Death Cleaning and Cling Film.

We’re delighted that both Bethany Handley and @alisonbinney.bsky.social are Highly Commended in this year’s @forwardprizes.bsky.social www.serenbooks.com/2025/10/beth.... Their Highly Commended poems are both in the ‘Forward Book of Poetry 2026’.

Copies of I Sing to the Greenhearts, Cling Film, Octopus Mind, Significant Wow, Into the Same Sound Twice and The Opposite of Swedish Death Cleaning.

Treat yourself to some new poetry this #NationalPoetryDay! There’s a whole range of great poetry books waiting to be discovered on our website www.serenbooks.com/books/poetry/

And a massive ‘thank you’ to Mslexia for giving me my first break with the Mslexia Poetry Pamphlet Competition! 🙏

Happy #NationalPoetryDay! Let's hear it for the poets and poetry publishers who enrich our lives! Here are just a few to get us started ❤️

@serenbooks.bsky.social @bloodaxebooks.bsky.social @emiliejelinek.bsky.social @niaandthepoems.bsky.social @courtneyconrad.bsky.social @alisonbinney.bsky.social

On #NationalPoetryDay it’s lovely to share that my poem ‘Testimony’, from my debut collection ‘The Opposite of Swedish Death Cleaning’, has been included in the 2026 Forward Book of Poetry. Thanks so much to the judges for selecting it. #ForwardPrizes

Ah, thanks so much for sharing that! 🙏

Some really good news!

I’ve got a few poetry events coming up, starting with the new open mic night at Chater’s in Saffron Walden on Wed 3rd September. Details of all my autumn events here: alisonbinney.co.uk/2025/08/25/a...

… and also lovely to see the book outside getting some fresh air!

Ah, that’s so lovely to hear - thank you so much for taking the time to post this 🙏

We hope you are as excited as we are about our Writer in Residence Shortlist for 2026!

You can find all the shortlisted titles in one handy list on our Bookshop.org shop - happy reading!

buff.ly/bEdyU3a

Meet the Shortlist: Alison Binney - Gladstone's Library Introducing everyone on the Writer in Residence shortlist for 2026... First in our 'Meet the Shortlist' series is poet, teacher and lecturer Alison

Here’s a short blog post for @gladlib.bsky.social about how lovely it is to be on the the shortlist for their Writer in Residence programme next year. www.gladstoneslibrary.org/blog/meet-th...

We are thrilled to announce the eight writers shortlisted for Gladstone's Library Writer in Residence in 2026!

Read about the shortlisted titles here: buff.ly/S7V0rmH

Thank you Damian Barr (@damianbarr.bsky.social) for having the inspiration for Gladstone's Library Writers in Residence!

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Thanks - you too!

Writer in Residence 2026 - Shortlist Announced! - Gladstone's Library Gladstone’s Library Announces Shortlist for 2026 Writer in Residence programme Gladstone’s Library is delighted to announce the shortlist for its

Thank you so much to Gladstone’s Library for this shortlisting for ‘The Opposite of Swedish Death Cleaning’. Having loved the few days I spent there last year, it would be a dream to spend a whole four weeks writing there next year www.gladstoneslibrary.org/blog/writer-... @gladlib.bsky.social

Thank you so much, Mat, for such an incredibly careful and generous reading. I feel my poems have been offered back to me in a way that helps me to see them through fresh eyes. I feel so honoured that you’ve spent so much time with them.

Brilliant to hear our 2020 Pamphlet Competition winner @alisonbinney.bsky.social on 'The Verb' on BBC R4!

Her debut collection, The Opposite of Swedish Death Cleaning, is out on @serenbooks.bsky.social 🎉

www.serenbooks.com/book/the-opp...

#poetry #poetrycommunity #writingcommunity

BBC Radio 4 - The Verb, Boo Hewerdine, Fiona Benson, Alison Binney, Yvonne Lyon, Eartoon Ian McMillan's guests are Boo Hewerdine, Fiona Benson, Alison Binney, and Yvonne Lyon

#Poetry
The Verb
Sunday 17:10
BBC Radio 4
Ian McMillan welcomes guests Boo Hewerdine, Fiona Benson, @alisonbinney.bsky.social‬, Yvonne Lyon, on things that fall out of books, fathers and memory, witches - as well as a new Eartoon.
www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m...

Thanks so much for that lovely and astute critique of my poem. I love that phrase ‘the aching release from winter’ - something that was all the more poignant that year as I wrote this poem in February 2020…

Yorkshire Times Poem of the Week: 'Dark Peak, February' by Alison Binney @alisonbinney.bsky.social
www.yorkshiretimes.co.uk/article/Poem...

It was so lovely to record an episode of BBC R4 ‘The Verb’ yesterday, hosted by Ian McMillan and with other guests Fiona Benson, Boo Hewedine and Yvonne Lyon’s. Great to chat about fathers, witches, things that fall out of books, and even phrasal verbs. Tune in at 17.10 on 15th June to hear it!

Ah, that’s so lovely to hear - thank you!

Looking forward to a series of launch events for ‘The Opposite of Swedish Death Cleaning’ over the next few months. Details in this link: alisonbinney.co.uk/category/lat...

An evening of poetry with Alison Binney - The Opposite of Swedish Death Cleaning 7PM 290525 Wave of Nostalgia or Zoom — Wave of Nostalgia If Swedish death cleaning is the practice of decluttering one’s own life, this collection is its opposite. Here, items from a parental home jostle for position – chalk, spice jars, a Tupperware Party ...

I’m really looking forward to another visit to Wave of Nostalgia in Haworth where I’ll be reading from ‘The Opposite of Swedish Death Cleaning’ at 7pm on Thursday 29th May. Tickets to attend in-person or online here: www.waveofnostalgia.co.uk/event-ticket...

Friday Poem – ‘The opposite of Swedish death cleaning’ by Alison Binney - Seren This week’s Friday Poem is the title poem from ‘The Opposite of Swedish Death Cleaning’ by Alison Binney.

Lovely to see ‘The Opposite of Swedish Death Cleaning’ as today’s Friday Poem from @serenbooks.bsky.social. I’m very happy with the Cornish blue and white stripy egg cups to go with it! www.serenbooks.com/2025/04/frid...

Photo of a copy of The Opposite of Swedish Death Cleaning laid out against a geometric blue and grey wallpaper background.

Happy Publication Day @alisonbinney.bsky.social! Her new poetry collection ‘The Opposite if Swedish Death Cleaning’ is published today. Pick up your copy from your local bookshop www.serenbooks.com/book/the-opp...