Born in London in 1993, Lily Blacksell grew up there and on the Isle of Wight. She studied English with Creative Writing at the University of Birmingham and has an MFA in poetry from Columbia University, where she was a teaching fellow. Lily was nominated for a Pushcart Prize and Best New Poets 2017 whilst living in the US. In 2022, she was shortlisted for the Bridport Poetry Prize and the Oxford Poetry Prize. She was longlisted for the 2024 National Poetry Competition. Her poems have appeared in Poetry Review, Poetry Wales, BOMB Magazine, Boston Review, Bath Magg, Magma, and elsewhere. She runs a poetry and music night called Canon Fodder which she hosts at The Social in London and at Glastonbury Festival. By day, and very often evening, Lily programmes events at The Conduit in Covent Garden, and has previously worked for Southbank Centre and the Royal Society of Literature. She has also taught courses for the Poetry School. She has published two pamphlets, There's No Such Thing (ignition press, 2018) and Stressed, Tested (Rough Trade Books, 2022), with her first book-length collection, Life Immediately, due from Bloodaxe in 2026.
Author photo: Jake Kelsall
