Salt to publish Tim Relf's debut poetry collection
Salt Publishing has acquired Tim Relf’s debut poetry collection. Director Chris Hamilton-Emery acquired UK and Commonwealth rights to Not Even October in a deal done directly with the poet, novelist and journalist.
The book is set to be released in 2026 and explores themes of memory, mindfulness and mortality, as well as offering "a contemporary perspective on the natural world, relationships, grief and addiction".
Relf, who writes a monthly column for The Bookseller, is also the author of the crime thriller What She Left (Penguin), writing as TR Richmond.
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Hamilton-Emery said: "What struck me about Tim’s poems was how they blend the mundane with the profound. The settings are often everyday places such as Kwik Fit foyers and Premier Inn rooms, but the work inhabits a mesmerising space between head and heart, lyric and plainspoken, formal and free verse.
"2026 will be an exciting year for Salt, as we will also be launching the collected poems of Tobias Hill, and new collections by Alex Corrin-Tachibana and Jackie Wills."
Relf added: "I’ve always admired [Salt’s] authors, its front covers and am very excited about the prospect of working with Chris, who is a fabulous poet himself. Having a novel published was a wonderful experience, but I found myself returning to poetry to have a different conversation with readers about my preoccupations.
"I try to write poems that hit the sweet spot of being both erudite and accessible. My hope for Not Even October is that it will appeal to a wider audience than solely those who consider themselves to be ‘poetry lovers’."
