Work Experience
New Poems and Two Plays
Published on 28. May 2026
Book
Paperback/Softback
326 pages
978-1-80017-555-6 (ISBN)
Description
This new poetry collection from the award-winning, bestselling crime writer reveals a fresh, exhilarating register of her work. Maverick and irreverent, Hannah's poems delight in rhyme and rhythm, embracing wit, play and subversive intelligence.
Alongside the poems sit the librettos of Sophie's two acclaimed stage musicals, The Mystery of Mr E and Work Experience, blending song, satire and dramatic bite. Together, they offer a fierce and funny critique of how society treats children and teenagers, how we define work and worth, and what it means to grow up inside systems obsessed with productivity and profit.
From a poet studied across GCSE, A Level and degree courses throughout the UK, this is a book that entertains even as it challenges - alive to the absurdities of the modern world.
Alongside the poems sit the librettos of Sophie's two acclaimed stage musicals, The Mystery of Mr E and Work Experience, blending song, satire and dramatic bite. Together, they offer a fierce and funny critique of how society treats children and teenagers, how we define work and worth, and what it means to grow up inside systems obsessed with productivity and profit.
From a poet studied across GCSE, A Level and degree courses throughout the UK, this is a book that entertains even as it challenges - alive to the absurdities of the modern world.
Reviews / Votes
'Spiky, memorable, catchy. Love the frivolity - but also love the passion beneath it. Just because something makes you smile, or laugh out loud, doesn't mean it isn't deep.'The Guardian 'The Mystery of Mr E is absolutely fantastic! Above all else, it's a great celebration of British ingenuity and culture.'
Times Radio 'Shall I put it in capitals? SOPHIE HANNAH IS A GENIUS.'
Poetry Review
More details
Language
English
Place of publication
United Kingdom
Publishing group
Carcanet Press Ltd
Dimensions
Height: 216 mm
Width: 135 mm
Thickness: 25 mm
Weight
362 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-80017-555-6 (9781800175556)
Copyright in bibliographic data is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or its licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions
E-Book
05/2026
Carcanet Poetry
€15.35
Available for download
Person
Sophie Hannah is a Sunday Times, New York Times and Amazon Kindle UK No. 1 bestselling writer of crime fiction and poetry, published in forty-nine languages and fifty-one territories. Her books have sold millions of copies worldwide. Her murder mystery musical, The Mystery of Mr E, was released as a feature film in 2023, directed by Martyn Tott. In 2023, Sophie won the Crime Writers Association's Dagger in the Library Award for her body of work, and in 2013 her thriller The Carrier won the Crime Thriller of the Year Award at the National Book Awards. Sophie's poetry has been shortlisted for the TS Eliot Award. Her poetry is studied at GCSE, A Level and degree level across the UK.
In 2018, she created the How to Hold a Grudge podcast, based on her self-help book of the same name. More recently, she has published two other self-help books: Happiness: A Mystery, and her latest, The Double Best Method, which was an Amazon UK Top Ten best-seller and is a guide to making the best possible decisions.
Sophie is the founder and coach at Dream Author Coaching, a coaching programme for writers and anyone who wants to write. She lives with her husband, children and dog in Cambridge, where she is an Honorary Fellow of Lucy Cavendish College.
In 2018, she created the How to Hold a Grudge podcast, based on her self-help book of the same name. More recently, she has published two other self-help books: Happiness: A Mystery, and her latest, The Double Best Method, which was an Amazon UK Top Ten best-seller and is a guide to making the best possible decisions.
Sophie is the founder and coach at Dream Author Coaching, a coaching programme for writers and anyone who wants to write. She lives with her husband, children and dog in Cambridge, where she is an Honorary Fellow of Lucy Cavendish College.