About Me
Hello, I'm Zoe Brooks, a poet who ives in Gloucestershire, England. My long poem for voices Fool's Paradise won the Electronic Publishing Industry Coalition award for best poetry ebook 2013. My collection Owl Unbound was published by Indigo Dreams Publishing in October 2020 and Fool’s Paradise was published as a print book by Black Eyes Publishing in 2022. My third collection Something In Nothing was launched 31st March 2026.
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I have been widely published in print and online magazines. My poems have appeared in a number of anthologies, including Wagtail: The Roma Women’s Poetry Anthology (Butcher’s Dog) and Contemporary Surrealist and Magic Realist Poetry (Lamar University Press).
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I am a director of the Cheltenham Poetry Festival, leading on the Festival’s year-round online programme. I have given readings at many poetry events, both online and in-person. For details see below.
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Some Book Reviews
Something In Nothing
Something In Nothing... is likely to stand among the most significant collections of the year. In this highly original volume, Brooks recontextualises figures from traditional fairy tales within contemporary social and political landscapes, using their familiar narratives to examine brutality, misogyny and the forms of violence that remain embedded within modern society.
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Something in Nothing is a collection of considerable imaginative power and ethical seriousness.
Nigel Kent
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I recommend you take this journey through all its darkness and find the light we all need right now.
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Sue Johns
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When we look here, we are shown ashes and dust. When we listen, we hear the echoes of words unsaid and warnings unheeded. We know there is something lurking in the shadows, that threatening things are behind us and also in plain sight. Something in Nothing is a book of hagstones, and unoiled hinges that has us looking to see what is hidden in all kinds of darkness.
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Sue Finch​
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Something In Nothing: ‘fairy tales are very much not just for children’ and my word
what powerful poems that get right to the heart of the everyday: the fear, the love, the adventure. I couldn’t put it down. This you need to read.
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Julie Stevens
Fool's Paradise
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​​Fool’s Paradise is a dive into the uncanny: into that rich heritage of myth in which we find ourselves both far from home, and simultaneously at home. Brooks combines layers of folk cultural allusion with a clear and forceful language. The result is a dark parable, one of whose messages – like that of Bertolt Brecht’s Mother Courage – is that life is perpetual journeying.
Fiona Sampson
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​​​A disturbing yet deeply thought-provoking read, written with succinct perspicacity. The voices in this poem deserve to be heard.
Jackie Law - Never Imitate
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Owl Unbound
​Brooks’ images are so beautifully observed that her language makes the unfamiliar relatable and will resonate with readers from any background....These poems enable the reader to reach through time to touch people, places and moments depicted with heart and tenderness.
Vic Pickup​
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My word Owl Unbound is a powerful collection of beautifully wrought, timeless, moving poems... I finished Owl Unbound feeling that Zoe Brooks had shared a little piece of her soul with me, but that in return she’s stolen a bit of my own. This is a remarkable collection and I feel privileged to have read it.
Linda's Book Bag
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Performing
Zoe Brooks is an absolutely wonderful reader (a must see!) Dobunni Poetry Festival
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As a young poet I learned how to perform poetry as part of Michael Horovitz's New Departures/Poetry Olympics.
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More recently I have read at a variety of venues, both online and in-the-flesh, including: Gloucester Poetry Festival, Poetry at Heron's (Bristol), Cheltenham Poetry Festival, Milton Keynes Literary Festival, The George Newnham, Riff Corner Clevedon, Subverse, Buzzwords, , Swindon Book Festival and Diversion @ Ledbury Poetry.
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Zoe's poems take us into the realms of myth and magic, shining a torch into the dark corners that reveal that fairy tales are very much not just for children. And her powerful delivery is as arresting as her words - highly recommended. Dave Wakely, Milton Keynes Literary Fest
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This is a wonderful collection and Zoe really brings it to life in person, so if you get a chance to hear her read, do it! Emma Clowsley, Diversion @ Ledbury Poetry.
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I love the connection with the audience that readings bring. I am actively looking for readings anywhere in the UK. In addition to solo readings I also read with Anna Saunders with a gig entitled Into the Uncanny - myth, fairytales and more. You can hear one of our readings on the blog here. I also read with Adam Horovitz​​​​ and Sue Johns.
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Workshops
I offer three workshops for poetry groups or venues
Performing Your Poetry
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This workshop is for people who have never read in public and those who have but want to improve.
The aim of this workshop is for you to explore your voice, gain practical tips on how to perform/read poetry and to boost your confidence. Don’t worry about having a soft voice, never have read in public before, this relaxed workshop should help you.
Writing Poetry For Multiple Voices
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This generative workshop looks at the rich tradition of poetry for voices from Alice Oswald to traditional verse forms and explores the strengths and opportunities that the form offers.
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By the end of the workshop participants should have begun to fashion their own poetry for voices.
Fairy Tales and Poetry
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Fairy tales are a rich source of inspiration - full of metaphor, imagery and characters.
This workshop explores how other poets have mined fairy tales and how you can too.
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Expect to come away with at least some first drafts of your own poems.
Recent Blogposts
To contact me, please email zoebrookspoetry@gmail.com