The wickedest

The Wickedest is the follow-up to Caleb Femi''s Forward Prize-winning 2020 collection, Poor. In Caleb''s inimitable, cinematic style, magical realism seeps into the world of the piece almost without our noticing, and builds to a crescendo that is at once euphoric and grief-soaked, but ultimately an assured celebration. The Wickedest is a modern epic exploring the institution of house parties (shoobs) and their function within British working-class communities. It''s a minute-by-minute depiction of a typical night at a legendary house party known as ''The Wickedest'', held monthly at an undisclosed inner-city location. We meet vivid characters spanning the spectrum of youth (teens to thirties) navigating a revelry steeped in camaraderie, dance philosophy, surrealism and introspection. The poems range from classic English sonnets to experimental forms that reflect the collection''s preoccupation with movement theory. They are supplemented with photography, text messages, nightlife application forms and blueprints to create an immersive experience, thrusting the reader into the zeitgeist of Millennial and Gen Z youth culture, back to the moments we, amongst our loved ones, surrendered to joy. The Wickedest dissects the very nature of a party, mapping out its approach to spatial and audio design, all to document the fleeting nature of nightlife venues in our communities and how we are denied space by red tape or closure. This collection is for exhaling, for laughter; it captures the brief moments we fully free ourselves from the weight of reality and float.