8 Debut Poetry Collections by Poets over 40 - Electric Literature

8 Debut Poetry Collections by Poets over 40 - Electric Literature

There are times when everything, including poetry, feels like a young person’s game. And it’s undeniably impressive when a poet in their twenties—or even younger—lands a poem in a prestigious journal or publishes their first book. But this list celebrates debut collections published when their authors were over 40, some much older. Publishing a first book later in life is a distinctive achievement, celebrated by contests both longstanding (like …