Fitzroy North 3068 (Yvette Henry Holt, Upswell)

Fitzroy North 3068 by multi-award-winning poet Yvette Henry Holt is more than a collection of poems – it is an experience. To call it “immersive” feels almost inadequate for a work that is so completely transportive. These captivating, powerful poems have the ability to quieten the world around the reader, creating the sense that you are not simply reading the pages but instead stepping directly into the spaces Holt describes. Through memoir, psychoanalysis and psychogeography, Holt offers vivid glimpses into the childhood and adolescence that formed the person she has become. She writes with raw honesty, leading readers through the places and people that shaped her – mothers, lovers, mentors and therapists – and offering unguarded insight into her inner life. Some poems may particularly resonate with queer readers, especially in their references to Sappho and the celestial imagery of the female body, whether intentional on Holt’s part or not. The book’s introduction warns, “once opened, you cannot unopen”, and this proves true. The emotions and insights Holt brings to the surface linger long after the final page. The collection is at once inspiring and confronting in the best possible way; Holt’s visceral, intense revelations explore depths that are difficult not to reflect on. Fitzroy North 3068 is a privilege to read and experience – and a book that readers will carry with them long after finishing.

Books+Publishing reviewer: Chloe Cook is a freelance reviewer and writer, currently working in libraries. Books+Publishing is Australia’s number-one source of pre-publication book reviews.

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Category: Reviews