Crystal traces the arc of one woman’s experience after the discovery that her partner is addicted to crystal meth. In a highly original poetic act of reclamation, it plunders the drug itself and makes of it an overarching conceit to articulate the devastating impact of living with a loved one who is utterly changed. Deeply felt, tirelessly inventive, this sequence of poems gives voice to addiction’s explosive effect within a family. At the same time it speaks universally and with urgency of the power of poetry to take one through the darkest of times.
Crystal is Ellen Cranitch's second poetry book, following The Immortalist (Templar Press), which was shortlisted for the Seamus Heaney Prize for Best Collection 2018.
'Crystal is certainly the most gripping collection of poetry I have ever read (runner-up: Adam Foulds’ The Broken Word). But individual poems will break your heart, and your admiration for the determination to turn all this into art will never diminish.' – Nick Hornby, on his Substack A Fan's Notes
‘Utterly mesmerising. An intensely rewarding and spine-tingling experience. What pain underlies it is mitigated by so much love, rescue, hope and triumph. Only a real poet can take one from a walk with Cavafy amongst the stones of the Acropolis to the misery of Heston motorway services; from Colombian emerald mines to communing with T.S. Eliot’s ashes in East Coker… Cranitch takes the resources of landscape, science, philosophy, mythology and of course poetry and uses them not just to meditate on the cruel, sordid, terrifying and humiliating truths of addiction, but to do something more than meditate – to understand, to resolve and to transform. This is what poetry at its best and truest can do. A wonderful achievement.’ – Stephen Fry
‘Tender and profound…honest and brave…propelled by a faith in the humane, in the redemptive possibilities of love… Crystal…adds to that library that attests to the human spirit’s ability to witness and endure and, sometimes at least, come out singing.’ – Hisham Matar, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of The Return
'What impresses most about Ellen Cranitch's courageous second collection, Crystal, on the subject of her husband's addition to crystal meth and its devastations, is her steady rigour in not compromising, not ranting or taking flight [...] There is, throughout, a – crystal – clarity.' – Kate Kellaway, The Observer (Poetry Book of the Month)
‘Ellen Cranitch's new book, Crystal, is one in which personal dissolution, and chaos, are – at least to some extent – counteracted by fleeting, often occluded, moments of calm, and at times through the act of poetry itself […] Cranitch proves herself an adept formalist, and some of the writing here is beautifully rendered, well- seen and rich in clinching details’ – Declan Ryan, The Irish Times
‘In Crystal, Ellen Cranitch’s second collection, the poet traces a personal and familial journal that begins with the discovery of her partner’s addiction to crystal meth. […] Cranitch's project is to transform her suffering into something beautiful and of value. […] Though Crystal is a piece of art, a book of poetry, these moments remind us there is an actual family involved here, shouldering real risks to finances, safety, health, and life. To be in the midst of immense pressures and to strive to act in a way that is fair while maintaining a record for an audience who might need such a book, is transcendent and an act of genius.’ – Grace Wilentz, Poetry Ireland Review
Ellen Cranitch is a poet, lecturer and journalist. Her debut collection, The Immortalist (Templar Press), was shortlisted for the Seamus Heaney Award for Best First Collection 2018. Her second collection, Crystal, was published by Bloodaxe in 2024. Born in London of Irish parents, Ellen holds an MA in English Literature from Cambridge University and a PhD in Creative Writing (Poetry and Poetics) from the University of St Andrews. She has taught Creative Writing and literature at a number of universities including University College London and Bath Spa. Recent posts include Lecturer in Creative Writing at the University of Hull where she ran the poetry modules. Her arts journalism has appeared in The Times, The New Statesman and The Irish Times and she contributes poetry reviews and interviews to Poetry London and The Poetry Review. She currently works at the City Lit Institute, London, teaching the Masterclass and Advanced Poetry Workshop.
