sing & hide - Cai Draper - Bog

Cai Draper's sing & hide is a tribute to youth, family and the nuances of belonging. While its speaker places us firmly in the distinct and polyphonic context of his coming of age (Woolworths, Megadrive, 'Spoons, Moschino, Peckham Pulse, the Rivoli), he himself is often caught between lines and homes, between pride and shame. Draper's bold, idiosyncratic voice betrays a deep yearning for knowledge of the self and others, drawing the reader in with magnetic effect. Influenced by modern sculpture, there is an architectural quality to these poems, cast into bronze or moulded from London turf, skilfully wielding negative space to draw attention to the unseen and unspoken.