The Common Press is extremely proud to be hosting the launch of Jee Leong Koh's new collection, Inspector Inspector, out now from Carcanet Press. This book is a remarkable achievement, taking in war, homelands, masculinities, and desire - one which “struggles with the legacies of fathers, personal, poetic and political".
Jee is the author of Steep Tea (Carcanet), named a Best Book of the Year by the Financial Times and a Finalist of the Lambda Awards in the US. Originally from Singapore, Jee lives in New York City, where he heads the literary non-profit Singapore Unbound and the indie press Gaudy Boy. He is also featured in the Anamot Press anthology The Sun Isn't Out Long Enough – one of The Common Press' favourite titles!
Jee will be joined by Leo Boix, who is the first British-Latinx poet to be selected for the Complete Works Poetry, the national programme whose fellows have included Sarah Howe, Mona Arshi, Kayo Chingonyi and Warsan Shire, and was the recipient of the Bart Wolffe Poetry Prize Award 2018 and the Keats-Shelley Prize 2019. His new (and English debut) collection, Ballad of a Happy Immigrant was selected by the Poetry Book Society as the Wild Card Choice for Summer 2021.
Guests are welcome to arrive at our bar, Common Counter, from 6.30pm; the event will begin at 7.30pm in the bookshop. Inspector Inspector, Steep Tea, Ballad of a Happy Immigrant, The Sun Isn't Out Long Enough, and selected Gaudy Boy titles will be available to purchase on the night.