Bird, beast or man, we each have the same element at our core: bones. While our forms may change, the bones always remain – and in this thrilling debut, the poet celebrates their beauty and structure through folk tales, philosophy, daydreams and night terrors.

Aided by a host of characters including a girl who fell in love with a mountain, a woman who can only ever look at you sideways, and a man made of bees, within this slim volume Caroline Hardaker creates a dozen unforgettable worlds entirely her own.


'Unforgettably arresting.'
– Travelling Man

'The poems in Bone Ovation are simultaneously soothing and sinister. Each piece here is its own myth – myths that have waited for the right poet to come along before they could be told. Prepare to be transported, disturbed, and enchanted.'
– Kate Garrett

'Bone Ovation is brilliantly observed and refreshingly unique. The kind of poetry I love!'
– Stephen Daniels, Amaryllis

Click here to watch the virtual launch event for this book, with live illustrations by Chris Riddell, and guest readings by Jo Brandon and Russell Jones.


In Caroline Hardaker's first full-length collection of poetry, readers will find tales of human evolution and natural laws, of technology, of the world's problems and the twisted inventions we create. Each encounter takes a host of characters to the brink of epiphany – sometimes they’ll burn bright, and sometimes they’ll fall apart.

Step into a world of explorers, philosophers, automatons, wild things, and the ghosts that dwell deep in the heart of the earth itself.


From the author: “The poems in this collection have been developed over a three year period, in which I wanted to explore the nature of discoveries, and how they impact our everyday lives. One of the main topics I write about is memory and cultural memory, and I wanted to explore how folklore and history are repeated throughout time. Humanity is currently at a turning point in environmental terms – and I think it’s important to understand mistakes of the past so we can try to not repeat them. I’ve balanced these larger questions with everyday ‘kitchen sink’ encounters, to demonstrate that both have a huge impact on our lives.”


“Hardaker is a rising talent; she hunts for what it means to be human. This first collection looks at the world and the creations we make to keep moving through the little quakes that shake every day. Clear, concise, inventive and sharp, these poems burn like shooting stars.” – Angela Readman