Tender - by Harry Baker (Hardcover)

Book Synopsis

The hilarious and heart-warming new collection from World Poetry Slam Champion Harry Baker, which sees him turn his attention to the topic of fatherhood for the first time.

AN INSTANT SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER

'Harry Baker's way with words is entirely fascinating' DONNA ASHWORTH
'A charming, fun, funny, revelatory, relatable wordsmith' RAYMOND ANTROBUS

It captures all the tiny, fragile, perfect moments of new life and, with it, new parenthood. Full of sleepless wonder and with his characteristic wit and warmth, Harry Baker offers snapshots into the intense first 100 days with his son as they get to know each other.

A yawn from a tiny pink mouth, a kind word from a stranger on a difficult day, the weight of a body sleeping against your chest - parents will recognise both themselves and their children in Tender and find consolation in this collection.

Review Quotes

"What a gift Harry Baker has to fill pages with such beauty and humour and happiness. Tender is an exquisite, funny look into the life and love of a new dad" HOLLIE McNISH

"I was moved to tears and then laughing within seconds . . . Harry Baker's poetry speaks to us all" DAVINA McCALL

"In Tender Harry has captured the wonder, joy and trepidation of being a new parent wonderfully. Harry uses words like a painter uses colours, combining them in a unique way to create images that allow us to see the world through new eyes" JOHN BISHOP

"Harry Baker is hilarious, generous and a glowing presence on the page. Tender is a total joy; a book that made me simultaneously broody and deeply relieved to sleep through the night. To be completely honest, it's quite rude of him to have written something so brilliant while surviving the first 100 days with a newborn" GEORGIE JONES

"Tender captures all the best things about Harry Baker's poetry: his heart, his hilarity and his intellect. A gorgeous new book from the wordsmith of warmth" MICHAEL MULLEN

"A book that makes me feel really proud to be a dad and slightly smug that I read poetry" IAIN STIRLING

"A hugely popular spoken word artist whose gigs sell out fast . . . This latest collection is inspired by becoming a dad, with each poem offering an insight into the intense first 100 days. He documents the highs, the lows and everything in-between. The result is an inspired collection" Sun

"What began as "unhinged notes" on Harry Baker's phone has grown into a beautiful testament to the early days of fatherhood" Sunday Times

About the Author

Harry Baker has loved words from a young age and been a full-time poet since graduating from Bristol with a maths degree in 2015. He became the youngest ever Poetry World Slam Champion in 2012 and his third collection, Wonderful, was published in 2024 alongside a 40-date sell-out tour of the same name, which has been extended into 2025. He lives and writes and swims and runs and takes his baby to nice coffee shops in Margate.

harrybaker.co @harrybakerpoet