Six New Poetry Collections to Read in Summer 2026
Looking for a poetry collection to add to your summer 2026 TBR? Here are some poetry books spanning from family history and mythological retellings to meditations on race and identity. There is definitely something for everyone!
The Book of Alice by Diamond Forde
This collection follows poet Diamond Forde who inherited an old family Bible after her grandmother died. Forde retells the story of her grandmother’s life through the poetry of the King James Bible. In The Book of Alice, Forde draws parallels between biblical narratives and her grandmother’s lived experiences, born in Jim Crow South. These poems have been described as heartfelt and visionary.
Who should read this? Readers interested in family history, biblical retellings, and contemporary Black poetry.
Burning Oracle by Sandra Simonds
Burning Oracle is a book-length poem that blends mythology, memory, and contemporary life through the voice of Cassandra, a seer, mother, and survivor, who navigates a world overwhelmed with technology and historical trauma. In the poem, Cassandra takes a pilgrimage to the grave of poet Paul Celan, where she works through personal loss and inherited trauma. Sandra Simonds’s new poem is a powerful work that explores history, memory, and daily life.
Who should read this? Lovers of mythology and feminist retellings of classical figures.
A Suit or a Suitcase by Maggie Smith
Maggie Smith’s new collection explores the relationship between the body and the mind, as well as the self and the world. In A Suit or a Suitcase, Smith asks her readers what it means to be human. Each poem makes you consider how to go beyond the boundaries we create for ourselves and how to live a life that is infinite.
Who should read this? Readers who enjoy reflective poetry that asks big questions about identity and what it means to be human.
Long Eye by Kwoya Fagin Maples
Kwoya Fagin Maples was inspired by Mami Wata, a water spirit of West African folklore, and created a collection that explores the power and divinity of being a Black woman, mother, thinker, protector, and creator. Throughout the poems, the sea and its creatures serve as guides and channel a mythic and defiant voice. Maples also dives into the intersection of science, poetry, and mythology to depict Black familial bonds in a society built on systemic racism.
Who should read this? Readers interested in mythology, Black womanhood and motherhood, and poetry that blends folklore with contemporary society.
Be Easy by Adrian Matejka
Be Easy is a new collection that traverses through the Midwest and complicates what place, race, and identity are. The poems explore migration and economic instability the country faces and the chaos of Adrian Matejka’s childhood. Be Easy masterfully encapsulates identity, history, and political commentary using his memorable musical prose into a collection you cannot put down.
Who should read this? Lovers of narrative poetry and explorations of race in America.
Stages by Tramaine Suubi
Tramaine Suubi’s new collection is inspired by the evolution of our brightest star and delves into how history affects our lives. Each poem is categorized by the life cycle of a star as a metaphor for how small moments have large impacts on who we become as people. Each poem feels like a reflection and captures our reality from grief to healing.
Who should read this? Readers interested in science and transformation.
These six poetry collections that came out this year demonstrate the diversity of poetry being published today. There is truly something for everyone, and these books showcase some of the most exciting voices in contemporary poetry! Which one are you picking up this summer?
Zoë Brita (she/her) is an undergraduate student of English with a concentration in Creative Writing at Barnard College. Zoë enjoys exploring new bookstores with her friends and writing in all different genres.
