Reads for the Rest of Us: The Best Poetry of 2025 and 2026

With help from Violet, I picked the most exciting poetry collections 2025-2026 by women and trans poets of color.

Each month, I provide Ms. readers with a list of new books being published by writers from historically excluded groups. The aims of these lists are threefold:

I want to do my part in the disruption of what has been the acceptable “norm” in the book world for far too long—white, cis, heterosexual, male;
I want to amplify indie publishers and amazing works by writers who are women, Black, Indigenous, Latinx, APIA/AAPI, international, queer, trans, nonbinary, disabled, fat, immigrant, Muslim, neurodivergent, sex-positive or of other historically marginalized identities—you know, the rest of us; and
I want to challenge and encourage you all to buy, borrow and read them!

Happy April, and Happy National Poetry Month. Since my dormant love of poetry was reignited, I’ve found it so refreshing and inspiring to read beautiful collections each year and share them with you.

Below are some of the most exciting and extraordinary poetry titles I’ve read in the last year. And this year, I am joined by Violet Pandya, who also chose some titles she appreciated.

In 2021, I tried something a bit different with the poetry list: Instead of the usual blurb, I focused my thoughts about each collection into three words. Readers responded so well to it that I decided to keep doing it. Sometimes the words are nouns, sometimes verbs, sometimes adjectives—and I may have just made up some words too. The words I choose are always inspired by the collection and often taken directly from it. Sometimes I try to be clever, other times straightforward and you can tell I love my alliteration. Since I find it challenging to be succinct, this is a valuable exercise in imagination, reflection and, well, restraint.

Speaking of restraint … I have to seriously think about which titles to include on this list. Many fantastic collections are being released, but unfortunately, I couldn’t include them all. I’ve included the 79 below mostly because I loved them, but also for a variety of other reasons: They meet my criteria (above), they are especially unique, I wanted to shine a light on them, they are from debut authors, indie publishers, or they stood out to me for any other reason.

I hope you find some collections below that will have you reflecting on how poetry moves you, challenges you and represents you.