The big bag theory
When the cat is let out of the bag
all teeth, claw and spit,
it blinks, pupils shrink to pins.
It slips down blind alleys,
fur leeched to the colours of here.
It yowls.
Only those in the way of secrets hear its story.
It tells of the beginning,
how it curled in on itself in the dark
listening to it until it understood
silence, then sound, the roar of light
slashing open the threads
the white throat
of something yet to become
- Alasdair Paterson & Stephen Burt
- Andrew Bailey & Damian Rogers
- Brandon Krieg & T Zachary Cotler
- Caleb Klaces & Joe Dunthorne
- Claire Crowther & Chris McCabe
- Dan Beachy-Quick & Matthew Gregory
- David Hart & David Hawkins
- David Herd & Sarah Vap
- David Tait & Kay Syrad
- Eleni Sikelianos & Cliff Yates
- Fergus Allen & Stephanie Bolster
- Geoff Sawers & Peter Blegvad
- Helen Mort & Charles Johnson
- Ian Davidson & Carmen Giménez Smith
- Jane Yeh & HL Hix
- Jared Stanley & Siddhartha Bose*
- Jeffrey Pethybridge & Anthony Madrid
- Jennifer Wainwright & Loveday Why
- Julia Cohen & Frances Presley
- Katrina Naomi & Sue Wood
- Kirsty Logan & George Ttoouli
- Laynie Browne & Matt ffytche
- Linnea Ogden & Nicholas Liu
- Luke Kennard & Richard Price
- Matthew Zapruder & Sam Riviere
- Mary Crockett Hill & Catherine Blauvelt
- Milorad Krystanovich & Suzanne Batty
- Nicky Arscott & A F Harrold
- Peter Larkin & Jonathan Skinner*
- Rebecca Farmer & Jane Griffiths
- Robert Selby & Catherine Theis
- Sarah Hymas & Jo Brandon
- Simon Smith & Ryan Murphy
- Tess Biddington & Adam Burbage
- Tim Atkins & Jeremy Over
- Tom Chivers & Emily Berry
- Valerie Witte & Aidan Semmens
- Vidyan Ravinthiran & Jenny Holden
- Vincent Katz & Barry Schwabsky*
- Zoë Brigley & Meredith Andrea



