Poetry Audiobooks | Literature

"Instant New York Times bestselling author and poet Maggie Smith returns with a new collection of poems on the sometimes-blurry distinction between mind and body, and how the self shifts and moves through time and space. The title of Maggie Smith's new collection comes from the eponymous poem: You ask what I'll miss about this life. Everything but cruelty, I think. But you want one specific thing, so here—I'll miss my body. I'll miss its companionship, how it's traveled with me, never leaving me—& by me, I mean my mind. My soul? My self? I don't know what to call it, and besides, my body hasn't traveled with me. I've traveled inside it. Do I wear it or does it carry me? Is the body a suit or a suitcase? Within, poems turn over the strange relationships between the body and the mind, the self and the world. With her signature tenderness and clarity of observation, and with stunning swoops of imagination, Smith considers—and reconsiders—what it is to be human: Does one life matter in the grand scheme of space and time? How can it be that we are the same people we were ten, twenty, or thirty years ago, but also different people? And could there be more to life, just beyond the borders of we can experience? Each poem is an ode to the power of our minds, and proof that both a life and a self, whether within a suit or a suitcase, is infinitely expandable."

Maggie Smith (Author), TBD (Narrator)

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Promise/Threat: Poems

"After storming the scene with Stereo(TYPE), the PEN America Award-winning poet makes his highly anticipated return-with a virtuosic sophomore collection that plunges the reader into the tenebrous realm between dreams and reality, and firmly establishes him as an essential voice in American poetry. "I'm coming to you live," Jonah Mixon-Webster announces early on in Promise/Threat, "from the corner of Shit Blvd. and Out o' Luck St. / with my monkey paws." So begins a three-part journey of a troubled rebirth, one that ushers the reader through all the torment of a Dantean comedy as it climbs unsteadily from darkness to light, navigating an internalized landscape that evokes the Flint, Michigan, of the poet's youth. In the long central sequence, "Territory," Mixon-Webster sets the reader in a mirror hall of dreams, where one's nemesis (or one's self) is always lurking around the corner. Violences of the waking life trickle into the narrator's sleep, as he flees from vision to vision, "picking the fruit in one dream and eating it in the next." In the book's third and final section, as the poet begins to wake, he finds that the "real poem is the life I'm writing." Mixon-Webster's musings turn to love, and the often destructive desires it provokes in us, as he grapples with how to carry the burden of a past that threatens to sabotage your future. These are seeking, supple poems, whose forms adapt to contain their transfigured images. What emerges in this daring second collection is a surreal and haunting portrait of life in modern America, where pitfalls hide in every promise."

Jonah Mixon-Webster (Author), TBD (Narrator)

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The Vineyard: A poem

"A delightful account of the seasons in a house and its garden near the sea, a domestic idyll of hardy plants and neighbors, outer and inner weather, love and loss, and taking stock of the life we've made The delicious long-form poem "The Vineyard" is set in and around the quasi-fictional Long Island village of Oyster Ponds, where the poet spends the summer months. In free-flowing lines and pages that turn with the calendar, the poem unspools impressions that seem confided rather than written, as Galassi observes the "pretend peace'' of this quiet house and garden, his oasis in the turbulence of dailiness. Themes and imagery recur, swerve, and transform as he watches the vineyard next door come alive, thrive, and die away only to return the next year, different but the same, in our time of plague, climate threat, and a culture that too often seems to attack what is enduring and fundamental. But this book is not a complaint or a raging against the dying of the light: it is an honest record of seeing and feeling in a beloved place, of gratitude, of searching for one's center. As the poet describes the wisteria vine that sends out suckers into the lawn and the long and complex tale of the village and its inhabitants, this modern eclogue becomes an ample container for Jonathan's life: he's having a chat with us about all he notices and dreams, about tending his plants and cooking and gossiping, about loving a man and aging, about his mother and Vita Sackville-West and bike-riding and having regrets. The narrative swells and touches us in its surprising turns; sometimes whole poems swim up and hold a page in the midst of its ongoing narrative, reminding us of the ways that writing can shape the quotidian. This intimate, unhurried, and unpretentious poem of past and present will stand as the central work of Jonathan Galassi's career."

Jonathan Galassi (Author), TBD (Narrator)

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We (the People of the United States)

"From an award-winning poet praised for his "rhapsodic, rigorous" work (The New Yorker) comes an immersive meditation on kindship, collectivity, and environmental thought We (The People of The United States) is a book-length poem made to the measure of the modern world. Composed of 55 sections, it features a breathtaking range of characters and concerns: The Beach Boys, Gwendolyn Brooks, the invention of the typewriter, Zora Neale Hurston, Sun Ra, life on Mars, Robert Frost, experimental physics, The Jackson 5. Throughout the collection, Bennett summons Virgil's Georgics as a lens through which to not only tell the story of his family, but a much larger one about the "form of the American mind," our relationship to the natural world, and the pursuit of a dignified, abundant life. Published the year of the nation's 250th anniversary, it is a collection that is right on time. One that calls us, as Langston Hughes once did, toward a future America that is not yet here, "and yet must be.""

Joshua Bennett (Author), TBD (Narrator)

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Night Owl: Poems

"From the New York Times bestselling author of World of Wonders and Bite by Bite, Aimee Nezhukumatathil’s fifth collection of poetry explores love, nature, and the transformative powers of the night. In her latest poetry collection, Aimee Nezhukumatathil plumbs the depths of nighttime, crafting a series of nocturnes that explore the magic, sensuality, and life that emerge as the rest of the world goes to bed. Night Owl navigates questions and concerns for the environment that envelops us. It meditates on our connections to family and beloveds, and explores our position within the broader beauty of the planet. Just as the night transforms how we see things, so too does love in its many forms transform our understanding of togetherness and the natural world. And these poems are deeply suffused with love—each an expression of Nezhukumatathil’s captivating responses to the animals, plants, and people who have her heart and enliven her world. Night Owl presents a dazzling vision of nature that celebrates the beautiful noises and silences of this planet, as well as its many complications. Nezhukumatathil provides a singular contribution to writing on the natural world, calling up our sense of love—even in the face of increasing violence to one another and the environment—by focusing on the transformative impact of the dark."

Aimee Nezhukumatathil (Author), TBD (Narrator)

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The Distance of a Shout: Selected Poems

"Brought to you by Penguin. From independence movements in Sri Lanka to train stations in contemporary Ontario, an intimate and witty selection of Michael Ondaatje’s most widely loved poems taken across fifty years The poetry of Michael Ondaatje begins in memory: distant landscapes, myths from childhood, fleeting interactions with loved ones, and characters from history itself. In poems that are spare as often as they are fable-like - as tender as they are heart-wrenching - the poet navigates the past, looks toward the future, and unearths inevitable truths about the world. Assembling Michael Ondaatje’s finest poems in one brilliant volume, The Distance of a Shout chronicles the poet’s journey - moving book to book, moment to moment, border to border - and leads the reader through the threshold of discovery itself. The Distance of a Shout is a profound and gorgeous collection by an indispensable poet of our time, and proof of why miraculous poetry endures. 'My life always stops for a new book by Michael Ondaatje' JHUMPA LAHIRI 'Each new book of Michael Ondaatje’s is a literary event, but that is particularly true for his books of poetry' TERRANCE HAYES © Michael Ondaatje 2026 (P) Penguin Audio 2026"

Michael Ondaatje (Author), TBD (Narrator)

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Bellyache: Poems for Sensitive Souls

"From the author of Good Grief, an intimate collection of poems and prose which offers a glimpse into the mind of a highly sensitive person, or empath. In a world that has become increasingly difficult to navigate—physically, mentally, and spiritually—having empathy is more important than ever. But what if you have a highly sensitive mind? Highly sensitive people, known as empaths, have an expanded capacity to feel not only one set of emotions but also those of others. They experience life more deeply than the average person, leaving them more susceptible to nervous system dysregulation, emotional trauma, and abuse. Divided into three parts—Body, Mind, and Soul—Brianna Pastor’s intimate collection of poems invites us to explore what it’s like to discover high sensitivity in adulthood and view life through an empathetic lens. Hopefully, by deepening our understanding of sensitivity and how it affects others, we can move one step closer to a more connected, healed world. I have a bellyache from constantly absorbing all this pain. I’d ask you to refrain from telling me, but your eyes already have."

Brianna Pastor (Author), TBD (Narrator)

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The Bronze Arms: poems

"Following his captivating and popular A Hundred Lovers, Hofmann's new collection is a queer coming-of-age, tinged with myth: poems that bring us into a fever dream of antiquity and desire at its limits Noting the fragility of the body and soul in a world of threat, these startling poems stem from a central boyhood memory-the author's near-drowning in a swimming pool on Crete. The observant child was troubled that none of the statues he saw had arms-and then it was his father's arms lifting him from the water, saving his life. Hofmann balances elegance and brutality as he explores the fables of that childhood as well as the contours of sex and relationships in modern cities, in order to write his own personal history of love and survival: "Masculine arms lifted me. / Masculine arms held me while I slept." The poems navigate risks, abandonments, and rescues, moving through a series of mazes that become a labyrinth of erotic awakening, with quick turns and dangerous diversions. In poems that alternately sear and crush delicately, we wander the ruins where the self is lost and broken and ultimately reclaimed: at the dark center, in the heart of the past. A triumphant follow-up to the fetching catalog of lovers in Hofmann's last book, this collection thrills with its archaeology of self, its notes of austerity and decadence."

Richie Hofmann (Author), TBD (Narrator)

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Getting Through What You're Going Through: Notes and Poems for Hoping and Becoming

"Read by the author. Find hope and purpose as you discover that you're right where you're supposed to be. Maybe you thought you'd be further along by now. Or have a different kind of life. Maybe you thought that relationship would have happened, that dream would have come true, that path would have opened up-and it didn't. Or you feel stuck, behind, not sure if you made a wrong turn somewhere. You're trying to make sense of what is, even if what "is" is not what you thought it would be. Or maybe you're searching for a moment of peace before carrying on. Getting Through What You're Going Through by poet and writer Tanner Olson explores these ideas and offers you hope through it all. You don't have to just "get through"; you can "go through"-all the ups and downs, disappointments, unexpected surprises-knowing that God is present and hope remains. In this collection of over one hundred poems and reflections, Tanner shows that God's timing may be slow until it isn't. Every day presents a gift to open. And hope is there to be found in the simplest things-a cup of coffee, a good friend, a single pancake. If you're feeling stuck, unsettled, or even just happy to be here, know that hope remains and you're right where you're supposed to be."

Tanner Olson (Author), Tanner Olson (Narrator)

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Robert Browning: The Ring and the Book, The Pied Piper of Hamelin & more: BBC Radio dramatic reimagi

"BBC Radio dramatisations and readings of Browning’s most famous poems, performed by stars including Anton Lesser, Roger Allam and David Tennant, plus two bonus plays Victorian poet Robert Browning was renowned for his evocative dramatic monologues peopled with vivid, morally ambiguous characters. In 1846, he eloped with fellow poet Elizabeth Barrett, and they rapidly became Britain’s most famous literary power couple. This collection brings together four of Browning’s poetic masterpieces, juxtaposed with a play inspired by his work and a drama about Robert and Elizabeth’s romance. The Ring and the Book – In the aftermath of a triple stabbing, Rome is rife with speculation. Accused of murdering his young wife and her parents, Count Guido Franceschini is put on trial, and finds himself desperately fighting for his life. Anton Lesser, Roger Allam and Andrew Sachs star in this thrilling tale of of sex, lies, murder and justice. The Pied Piper of Hamlin – When a town fails to pay the rat-catcher who has lured all the rats away with his magic pipe, the piper takes a terrible revenge. Playing his music once more, he leads all the children from the town. Only one boy remains behind… David Tennant stars as the Narrator, with Bertie Gilbert as the boy. My Last Duchess – Based on Browning’s chilling poem about an aristocrat whose wife died young in suspicious circumstances, this intriguing dramatisation attempts to solve the mystery of what happened to the duchess, and who did the deed. Starring Roger Allam, Emily Mortimer and Tim McInnerny. Andrea del Sarto – Richard Pasco reads Robert Browning's monologue about the 16th-century Florentine artist known as ‘the faultless painter’, whose marriage was the source of deep unhappiness. The Contemplative Life – Brother James's loathing of oafish Brother Lawrence has led him to petty acts of destruction. As a punishment, he is forced to share a cell with him… Alan Rickman and Michael Aldridge star in this comedy inspired by Browning’s poem ‘Soliloquy of the Spanish Cloister’. The Barretts of Wimpole Street – Starring Dorothy Tutin and Jeremy Brett, this radio version of Rudolf Besier’s celebrated stage play explores the secret courtship of Elizabeth Barrett and Robert Browning, which took place at No 50 Wimpole Street, her father’s forbidding household. First published 1842 (‘The Pied Piper of Hamelin’, ‘My Last Duchess’), 1855 (‘Andrea del Sarto’), 1868 (‘The Ring and the Book’) Cast and credits Written by Robert Browning The Ring and the Book Cast: Anton Lesser, Roger Allam, Lou Brealey, Dominic Rowan, Andrew Sachs, Frances Jeater, Dan Starkey, Stephen Critchlow, Ben Crowe, Chris Pavlo, Joan Walker, John Rowe, Michael Maloney, Stephen Moore The Pied Piper of Hamelin Cast: David Tennant, Bertie Gilbert With music and songs written and performed by John Harle, lyrics by Joyce Harle, sung by Thomas Platts, head chorister at Canterbury Cathedral with the choir of Wingham School, Kent My Last Duchess Cast: Roger Allam, Emily Mortimer, Tim McInnerny, Robert Hands, John Hartley, Jacob Heringman Andrea del Sarto Read by Richard Pasco The Contemplative Life Cast: Alan Rickman, Michael Aldridge, David Garth, Brian Smith, Colin Starkey, David Sinclair, Trevor Nichols, John Webb The Barretts of Wimpole Street Cast: Dorothy Tutin, Jeremy Brett, Paul Rogers, William Eedle, John Rowe, John Samson, Robin Browne, David Valla, Christopher Good, Kate Binchy, Jane Knowles, Kenneth Fortescue, Helen Worth, Michael Kilgarriff, Rolf Lefebvre, John Ruddock, Sheila Grant © 2026 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd. (P) 2026 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd"

Robert Browning (Author), Alan Rickman, Andrew Sachs, Anton Lesser, Ben Crowe, Chris Pavlo, Dan Starkey, David Tennant, Emily Mortimer, Frances Jeater, Full Cast, Joan Walker, Louise Brealey, Roger Allam, Stephen Critchlow, Tim McInnerny (Narrator)

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The Bonfire Party

Sean O'Brien (Author), TBD (Narrator)

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Scattered Poems

"Just as Jack Kerouac upended the conventions of the novel with On the Road, he also revolutionized American poetry in this ingenious collection. Bringing together selections from literary journals and his private notebooks, Jack Kerouac’s Scattered Poems exemplifies the Beat Generation icon’s innovative approach to language. Kerouac’s poems, populated by hitchhikers, Chinese grocers, Buddhist saints, and cultural figures from Rimbaud to Harpo Marx, evoke the primal and the sublime, the everyday and the metaphysical. Scattered Poems, which includes the playfully instructive “How to Meditate,” the sensory “San Francisco Blues,” and an ode to Kerouac’s fellow Beat Allen Ginsberg, is rich in striking images and strident urgency. Kerouac’s widespread influences feel new and fresh in these poems, which echo the rhythm of improvisational jazz music and the centuries-old structure of Japanese haiku. In rebelling against the dry rules and literary pretentiousness he perceived in early twentieth-century poetry, Kerouac pioneered a poetic style informed by oral tradition, driven by concrete language with neither embellishment nor abstraction, and expressed through spontaneous, uncensored writing."

Jack Kerouac (Author), Andrew Eiden (Narrator)

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Poetry Audiobooks in Literature