For NationalPoetryMonth, NYPL’s expert librarians and staff have selected 25 of the best new poetry collections for you to discover.
Among these 25 amazing poetry collections we find Leaked Footages by Abu Bakr Sadiq.
In Abu Bakr Sadiq’s exploration of northern Nigeria in speculative poetry, the lyrical meets the chronicle. In this fusion of Afrofuturism with experimental poetic techniques, the reader witnesses a country ravaged by terrorism and the consequences of war, as well as the effects of these on those who survive. While the tone is grave with concern and conscience, the poems do not take the easy route of sentiment. Instead, attention is paid to structure—from the erasure poems that are informed by the theme of disappearance to the contrapuntal poems that are influenced by the testaments of leaving.
NYPL’s expert librarians and staff read over 250 poetry books to select the 25 picks presented here. These titles demonstrate poetry’s ability to shepherd readers through an awesome array of spiritual and physical experiences.
- The Animal Is Chemical by Hadara Bar-Nadav
- At the End of the World There Is a Pond by Steven Duong
- Black Bell by Alison C. Rollings
- Bluff by Danez Smith
- Book of Kin by Darius Atefat-Peckham
- Exit Opera by Kim Addonizio
- Far District by Ishion Hutchinson
- Forest of Noise by Mosab Abu Toha
- Geometry of the Restless Herd by Sophie Cabot Black
- Glass Jaw by Raisa Tolchinsky
- I Don’t Want to Be Understood by Joshua Jennifer Espinoza
- I Was Working by Ariel Yelen
- Is There Room for Another Horse on Your Horse Ranch? by Cyrus Cassells
- Leaked Footages by Abu Bakr Sadiq
- Modern Poetry by Diane Seuss
- The Moon that Turns You Back by Halan Aya
- mother by m.s. RedCherries
- The Opposite of Cruelty by Steven Levya
- Sailing Without Ahab: Ecopoetic Travels by Steve Mentz
- The Selkie by Morgan Võ
- Sons of Salt by Yaccaira Salvatierra
- 36 Ways of Writing a Vietnamese Poem by Nam Le
- Transgenesis by Ava Nathaniel Winter
- We Contain Landscapes by Patrycja Humienik
- Yard Show by Janice N. Harrington
Whether you’re a longtime poetry lover or a newbie, there’s something for everyone.
Explore the list and learn more about National Poetry Month at the Library: nypl.org/poetrymonth Best New Poetry Books chosen by The New York Public Library.
Congratulations Abu and all the poets who made the list!
Bongiwe T. Maphosa
Bongiwe Maphosa is a writer whose fiction and poetry offers fresh, imaginative perspectives on the human condition. Her work has been published in prominent literary spaces, including Isele Magazine, Akowdee Magazine, the AVBOB Poetry Anthology, Journal of African Youth in Literature (JAY Lit), and more. She was also nominated for the 2025 Best of the Net Anthology. Bongiwe is one of six writers selected for the inaugural Caine Prize Online Editing program and serves as a content writer, peer reviewer, and tier three awards judge for JAYLit. Bridging inner reflection with speculative worlds, she continues to carve out a distinctive voice within contemporary African literature for a growing global audience.
