9781802061932

YOMI SODE

SHORTLISTED FOR THE T. S. ELIOT PRIZE AND THE RATHBONES FOLIO PRIZE ‘A wonder of a collection’ caleb a zumah nelson

‘Sode’s brilliant words perfectly . describe what it is to be black and British … An important read’

Cover design: Simi Abe. Cover photograph © Piotr Motyka. Author photograph © Jolade Olusanya.

‘One of the year’s best debuts …

Sode’s identification with Caravaggio . gives the book its energy … unflinching’ guardian , boo ks o f th e y e a r

‘Searing, shimmering, brilliant.

As hard to swallow as it is to put down’ y r s a da l e y - wa r d

‘Sode … scrutinizes black masculinity . and the culture and codes that surround or suppress it in Britain … wide-ranging … by turns fierce and tender, angry and vulnerable’

YOMI SODE MANORISM .

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MANORISM

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P ROOFIN G M ET H OD

90000

U.K. £00.00

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781802 061932

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FIN IS H ES

‘Indelible … Manorism is a classic’

9

Date: 05/09/2023 Designer: Jim/Æ Prod. Controller: Pub. Date: ISBN: 9781802061932

S P IN E WIDT H : 1 0 m m

financial times , books of the ye ar

I S B N 978-1-802-06193-2

P EN GUIN P RES S M AN ORIS M

PENGUIN

Poetry

‘Thrilling … once-in-a-generation’ J AC K I E K AY

12/09/2023 08:12

PENGUIN BOOKS

Manorism ‘One of the year’s best debuts, Yomi S.ode’s Manorism delves into the pain of Black communities with an artful blend of essays, lyrics and short monologues. This, and S.ode’s identification with Caravaggio, give the book its energy: out of the shadows can come beauty and respect’ Rishi Dastidar, Guardian (Books of the Year) ‘Wide-ranging . . . by turns fierce and tender, angry and vulnerable’ Financial Times (Books of the Year) ‘We all have the right to be various. This collection, which is both vigorous and tender, rallies against the reality that for some comes more easily than for others’ Ellen Peirson-Hagger, New Statesman ‘Justice and anger written with luminous genius . . . a glorious, furious collection that tells a thousand stories in stunningly crafted verse. A triumph that everyone should read’ Nikita Gill, author of Great Goddesses and Wild Embers ‘Searing, shimmering, brilliant. As hard to swallow as it is to put down’ Yrsa Daley-Ward, author of The How ‘Strong, insightful and brilliant . . . Manorism is a powerful exploration of the stark contrast between the reception of black culture from the black community VS appropriated black culture from the white community. An important read’ AJ Tracey ‘Yomi S.ode writes with clarity, anger and love’ Andrew GrahamDixon, author of Caravaggio: A Life Sacred and Profane ‘The mandem, mourning, mores and manners – Yomi S.ode’s Manorism is a thrilling new world to inhabit . . . This is one of those books that comes along once in a generation and influences generations to come’ Jackie Kay, author of Red Dust Road and former Makar of Scotland

‘S.ode delivers a linguistic slideshow of Blackness, masculinity, family and the jagged relationship between the three. Manorism is a gift’ Jason Reynolds, author of Miles Morales: Spider-Man ‘I don’t think I’ve ever read such a heartbreaking collection . . .

Manorism rages, yet plays . . . mixing Yoruba with colloquial speech in a luscious mix of registers and references, from Caravaggio to Mr Marcus . . . This debut is the living heart and soul of contemporary poetry’ Pascale Petit, author of Tiger Girl ‘A brilliant ode to the mandem’ Femi Oyeniran ‘He makes us think of what poetry can be . . . A must for all lovers of poetry and its power’ Roger Robinson, author of A Portable Paradise ‘A wonder . . . Yomi writes into the space where silence has been enforced, with language so dextrous it sings, with an honesty that is as sure as it is vulnerable. Throughout, he gives language to grief, acute and enormous . . . What a joy it is to hold these words’ Caleb Azumah Nelson, author of Open Water ‘A remarkable, textured education in what it means to be made up of different parts, of light and dark places, and of worlds that we know, and that we don’t. Yomi S.ode is a beautiful storyteller who pieces it all together’ Candice Carty-Williams, author of People Person ‘Manorism is a stunning debut collection. Yomi S.ode’s poems examine the various lenses observing the black body in Britain, and the implications of its passage between class, cultural and racial spaces. His words are indelible . . .

Manorism is a classic’ Caleb Femi, author of Poor ‘Manorism is filled with poetry of a breath held, a fist clenched and held behind the back, the knockout beckoning always. An ambitious and adventurous debut, brimming with heart’ Nii Ayikwei Parkes, author of Tail of the Blue Bird ‘Yomi is not ramping. This is a rich, nuanced, emotional collection’ Jade LB , author of Keisha the Sket

‘A breathtaking and tender exploration of Black boyhood, manhood, fatherhood and grief ’ Aniefiok Ekpoudom ‘Important . . . articulates the most subtle nuances of Black British masculinity with a breathtaking vulnerability. Truly, Manorism is something new . . . poetry that pushes at boundaries while inviting you in’ Jeffrey Boakye, author of I Heard What You Said and Black, Listed ‘The birth of a new poetic storyteller’ Nick Makoha, author of Kingdom of Gravity ‘Manorism. A Black British Diasporic way of being. A sense of place. A posture . . . These are necessary poems: poems as prayer songs, poems as testimony’ Malika Booker, author of Pepper Seed ‘A work of sincerity that cuts deep . . . Yomi is a griot, a voice in which we can hear the ancestors, a voice for now and a prophet of future possibilities’ Arike Oke, Executive Director of Knowledge and Collections, BFI ‘Vivid, beautiful and deeply moving’ Rt Hon Diane Abbott MP

A B O U T T H E AU T H O R Yomi S. ode is an award-winning Nigerian-British writer. His debut collection Manorism was shortlisted for the Rathbones Folio Prize (2023) and the T. S. Eliot Prize (2022). His works for performance include his 2017 show COAT; the 2020 libretto Remnants, written in collaboration with award-winning composer James B. Wilson and performed with Chineke! Orchestra; the 2021 play and breathe…; and Manorism, the stage adaptation, at Southbank Centre in 2022. Yomi is a Complete Works alumnus and a member of Malika’s Poetry Kitchen.

He is the founder of BoxedIn, First Five, The Daddy Diaries, and the mentorship programme 12 in 12.

Yò. MÍ S. ÓDÉ

YoMi S. oDe

Manorism

P EN GU I N B O O K S

PEN GUIN B O OKS U K | USA | Canada | Ireland | Australia India | New Zealand | South Africa

Penguin Books is part of the Penguin Random House group of companies whose addresses can be found at global.penguinrandomhouse.com

First published in Penguin Books 2022 This edition published 2023 001 Copyright © Yomi S.ode, 2022 The moral right of the author has been asserted Typeset by Jouve (UK), Milton Keynes Printed and bound in Great Britain by Clays Ltd, Elcograf S.p.A. The authorized representative in the EE A is Penguin Random House Ireland, Morrison Chambers, 32 Nassau Street, Dublin D02 YH68 A C I P catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library ISBN: 978–1–802–06193–2 www.greenpenguin.co.uk Penguin Random House is committed to a sustainable future for our business, our readers and our planet. This book is made from Forest Stewardship Council® certified paper.

With love to the Aylesbury Estate & the students of Geoffrey Chaucer Secondary School

For the situations that aged us, without our knowing

While most other Italian artists of his time slavishly followed the elegant balletic conventions of late Mannerist painting, Caravaggio painted the stories of the Bible as visceral and often bloody dramas . . . Since the mid-20th century his violent exploits and volatile character have enhanced his popular appeal – Andrew Graham-Dixon, ‘Caravaggio’, Encyclopedia Britannica

We’re always playing ghosts in one way or another. We’re never seen as real people – ​Winsome Pinnock

Contents

I: ANEEPHYA Àdúrà Màmá Mi

3

La Porte du ​­non-​­retour (The Door of No Return)

4

L’Appel du vide

6

Manorism I: On the Cultural Representation of ‘Black Britain’

9

About Hands: An Uncle

12

A Plate of Artichokes

13

Aneephya /ə'niːfɪə/ 14 PC Joshua Savage Pulls Leon Fontana Over for a Routine Check

16

A Sestina, for the Curious Òyìnbó

17

Fugitives 19 The Barbershop

21

About Hands: Somebody’s Child

23

For Black Boys Who Idolized Mr Marcus More than Their Fathers

24

J Hus is Caught with a Knife, Samira Mighty Leaves Love Island &

26

A Street Sermon I: ​­A-​­Hunting We Will Go

28

A Street Sermon II : On Ten Toes

29

II: A HAUNTING On Fatherhood: Proximity to Death

33

Manorism II : A Thanos Theory

35

On Fatherhood: Teaching My Child to Whistle

38

A Green Tweed Coat

40

Top Boy: Summerhouse: The Calling/Inspiration/ Martyrdom of Michael, from the Block

41

The Haunting of Dámiló.lá 44 [Insert Name]’s Mother: A Ghazal

45

The Outing

46

Y N WA : A Karaoke Interlude

47

Remnants 49 The Exhibition 2.0

51

Distant Daily Ijó 53 My Mother’s Prayer

55

III: ARA Á RÍ (THE BODY SEES)

xii

You, Me and Big Mummy

60

Reception I

62

Questions to My Mother

63

Confessions of a Penitent

64

December 2nd

66

December 3rd 09:30

67

December 3rd 11:10

69

December 3rd 12:30

71

December 3rd 13:45

72

The Sacrament of Anointing

73

The Preparation

74