Mutton Rolls by Arji Manuelpillai

“Arji Manuelpillai hits the ground running with this debut and I freaking love it. His poems are funny, irreverent, hugely affecting. He’s fidgety, darts moment to moment – you’ll rush after him, then suddenly find he’s stopped, spun on his heel and you’re face-to-face with his good-natured grin. Manuelpillai will dial up the volume just to whisper something damn beautiful beneath its surface. Every page of Mutton Rolls is tasty, and announces by increment a highly enjoyable new voice.” — Wayne Holloway-Smith

“The poems in this brilliant, playful debut are multifarious though gratifyingly interlinked, addressing the subjects of Sri-Lankan British identity, masculinity, friendship, grief and love. The tone is sometimes satirical, but there is no hiding behind satire in Arji Manuelpillai’s work – great tenderness and beauty characterise these poems, and the poet’s voice is completely original, entirely his own.” — Hannah Lowe