Elementary Particles

Brick Books, October 2023. ISBN 978-1-77131-619-4

Finalist, 2024 Ottawa Book Award
Longlisted, 2024 Raymond Souster Award

Through keen, quiet observation, Sneha Madhavan-Reese’s evocative new collection contemplates the building blocks of a life, examining the world through the lens of a daughter grieving the loss of her beloved father.

“I love it when a poet has a scientific mind. Writers like Sneha expand my vocabulary and my understanding of the hidden chemistry of the world. When she turns her gaze to her father and his passing, the word-by-word precision remains, but the poems are so generous, so touching, they nourish the spirit and heart.” Lorna Crozier

“Elementary Particles is a wonderous and intimate book, one that I will treasure and read again, looking to it not just for philosophical musing but also comfort and joy.” Amanda Earl, The Humber Literary Review

Order from your local independent bookstore or directly from Brick Books.

Preview two poems from the book on All Lit Up.

City of Ottawa Newsroom, Ottawa Book Award Finalist announcement
The Winnipeg Free Press, short review
CBC Books, 34 Canadian poetry collections to watch for in fall 2023
49th Shelf, Most Anticipated: Our 2023 Fall Poetry Preview

Observing the Moon

Hagios Press, October 2015. ISBN 978-1-926710-35-8

Finalist, 2013 Alfred G. Bailey Prize

Sneha Madhavan-Reese’s imagery is lyric, potent, and painterly, probing the darkness of a sometimes paradoxical world. Perhaps the most moving work in the book shares the journey of a new mother and her reconnection with a changed world. These poems of family and generational memory are incisive, mature, confident, and savvy in their awareness of the multiple contradictions of cultural desire. Madhavan-Reese is an exciting new voice in Canadian poetry.

“…clever, brazen and playful… There’s a peacefulness within this collection that makes it very accessible and highly enjoyable.” Kerri Cull

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Check it out from the Ottawa Public Library, Toronto Public Library, or other libraries across Canada.

Need a drink while you're reading? Make yourself a Blacklight Borealis, created by All Lit Up mixologist Tan Light specifically to pair with Observing the Moon.

The Best Canadian Poetry in English 2016

Edited by Helen Humphreys. Tightrope Books, October 2016. ISBN 978-1-988040-10-3

Guest edited by Helen Humphreys, this ninth edition of Canada’s vibrant yearly anthology features the fifty finest Canadian poems published during 2015. The Best Canadian Poetry series, which thrives under the stewardship of acclaimed series editor, Molly Peacock, and assistant series editor, Anita Lahey, ushers readers into the heart of the diverse Canadian poetry scene. A must-read for anyone with a stake or interest in contemporary Canadian literature.

“...The best poems, such as "Rosa Parks" by Madhavan-Reese, are perfect vignettes, poignant yet grounded in grim reality, replete with hope...” from a review by Publishers Weekly

Order from your local independent bookstore or directly from Biblioasis.

Global Poetry Anthology 2015

Edited by Gabeba Baderoon, Kate Clanchy, Carolyn Forché, Amanda Jernigan, Anthony Lawrence, Niyi Osundare, Jennifer Rahim, K. Satchidanandan, Michael Schmidt, Bruce Taylor.
Signal Editions, November 2015. ISBN 978-1-550654-29-5

The Global Poetry Anthology 2015 is a one-of-a-kind collection of contemporary poems, previously unpublished, and gathered from all corners of the English-speaking world. The international editorial board ensures the present volume’s cosmopolitan palette and the blind selection process guarantees the selections have been made according to poetic caliber alone. Véhicule Press’s Signal Editions is proud to offer the third volume in the Global Poetry Anthology series—a rich and exciting mix of established and emerging voices.

Order from your local independent bookstore or directly from Véhicule Press.