Real Life Poetry

This Is The Way of The World

A collection of ‘real life’ poems by Felix Dennis,charting life’s course from infant to endings. Illustrations by Bill Sanderson.

Publisher and poet Felix Dennis was one of Britain's most colourful maverick millionaires. Imprisoned in 1971 as co-editor of OZ magazine and acquitted on appeal, he founded his own magazine publishing company in 1973 and made millions with the sale of Personal Computer World and MacUser in the mid-eighties. Today, Dennis Publishing remains a privately owned company with headquarters in London and New York City. Titles include The Week, Auto Express, Maxim, Men's Fitness and Computer Shopper. Following a life-threatening illness, his first collection of poetry, A Glass Half Full was published by Hutchinson and the second, Lone Wolf, in 2004. Eight more collections followed, accompanied by sell-out reading tours on both sides of the Atlantic. The Felix Dennis Prize for Best First Collection is awarded yearly, as part of the Forward Prizes for Poetry. As a lover of trees, his lifetime ambition was the planting of a large native broadleaf forest in Warwickshire. He had homes in England, the USA, St Vincent and the Grenadines and died of cancer in June 2014 at his home in Warwickshire.

This Is The Way Of The World is a collection of poems specially selected by the author to encourage adults who lack confidence in their reading skills and to introduce new readers to the world of poetry. Easy to read and charting life’s course from birth through to death, the poems deal with ‘real life’ issues. This Is The Way Of The World is Felix Dennis’s 8th book of verse and includes new poems as well as old favourites. In addition to containing a free spoken-word CD, the book contains many beautiful colour illustrations by Bill Sanderson.

Do What The F**k I Say

An illustrated tongue-in-cheek poem dealing with the problems of parenthood

He writes the most profound poetry about the most simple natural things.

Marvellous stuff...the best poet writing in the English language.

He is the very essence of English poetry - lyrical, rhythmic, emotional.

The uncrowned Poet Laureate...he writes in the language of the soul.

Sebastian Melmoth II (Author) Sebastian Melmoth II is one of the most unknown poets of his time. Born with a silver spoon in his mouth but having lost all of his riches in the great recession of the 70s, Melmoth II chose to dedicate his time to his art, rather than the making of money. A modest character, Melmoth II has often been described as a ‘near-recluse’ and criticised by his loyal following for refusing to perform his poetry in public. Felix Dennis (Author) Publisher and poet Felix Dennis was one of Britain's most colourful maverick millionaires. Imprisoned in 1971 as co-editor of OZ magazine and acquitted on appeal, he founded his own magazine publishing company in 1973 and made millions with the sale of Personal Computer World and MacUser in the mid-eighties. Today, Dennis Publishing remains a privately owned company with headquarters in London and New York City. Titles include The Week, Auto Express, Maxim, Men's Fitness and Computer Shopper. Following a life-threatening illness, his first collection of poetry, A Glass Half Full was published by Hutchinson and the second, Lone Wolf, in 2004. Eight more collections followed, accompanied by sell-out reading tours on both sides of the Atlantic. The Felix Dennis Prize for Best First Collection is awarded yearly, as part of the Forward Prizes for Poetry. As a lover of trees, his lifetime ambition was the planting of a large native broadleaf forest in Warwickshire. He had homes in England, the USA, St Vincent and the Grenadines and died of cancer in June 2014 at his home in Warwickshire.

A poem for every parent pushed to the edge of sanity by their unruly offspring, Sebastian Melmoth II’s Do What The Fuck I Say provides a uniquely irreverent perspective on the frustrations of parenthood, featuring 48 pages of dynamic colour illustrations. 
 
A refreshingly frank and riotously funny depiction of the unspoken parental trials of frazzled fathers and maddened mums alike, Melmoth’s poem is a breath of fresh air for any parent who has ever been tempted to tell their little darlings to Do What The Fuck I Say.

Love, Of a Kind

The latest poetry collection by poet, publisher and maverick multimillionaire Felix Dennis

Felix Dennis is the real thing. I love reading his verse and you will, too.

His poetry sings like a summer breeze through the fairground.

He writes the most profound poetry about the most simple natural things

Felix Dennis was imprisoned in 1971 as co-editor of OZ magazine. After his acquittal on appeal, he founded his own magazine publishing company in 1973 and made millions with the sale of PC World and MacUser in the mid-eighties. Today, Dennis Publishing remains a privately owned company with headquarters in London and New York City. Titles include The Week, Auto Express, Maxim, Men's Fitness and Computer Shopper. Following a life-threatening illness, his first collection of poetry, A Glass Half Full, was published in 2004. His other interests include planting trees and he divides his time between homes in Warwickshire, London, New York, Connecticut and the Caribbean island of Mustique. Felix has his own website www.felixdennis.com.

Never one to shy away from difficult subjects, in Love, Of a Kind Dennis brings awkwardness, pain and intimacy together in an inimitable and pithy way. In over 50 new poems, accompanied by woodcut engravings, not only does Dennis present us with a different kind of love, but he also presents us with a different way of talking about love. 
 
With his work admired by the likes of Sir Paul McCartney, Stephen Fry and Benjamin Zephaniah, Love, Of a Kind is an invaluable and indispensible collection of poetry for any poetry lovers' shelf and, for that matter, any lover's shelf.

A Glass Half Full

A poetry book from the British philanthropist and multi-millionaire who founded Dennis Publishing, publishers of magazine, including lad mag Maxim and weekly political magazine The Week

Seriously good stuff - great quality and memorability. At least one of these poems with be instantly anthologised.

A Glass Half Full blew me away. Dennis is a crouching tiger poised to wreak havoc among the bleating lambs of modern English poetry.

He writes like a man obsessed. If Waugh were still alive, he would fall on Dennis' verse with a glad cry of recognition and approval

Marvellous stuff...the unpredictable Felis Dennis, long known for publishing other things, now bursts forth as a 21st Century Kipling

Multi-millionaires are not supposed to write poetry. It offends against natural justice. But following a life-threatening illness, Felix Dennis, the man behind the magazine publishing powerhouse responsible for The Week and Maxim found himself scribbling lines in the oddest situations - in business meetings, at social functions, on aeroplanes and even in his sleep.

Homeless in My Heart

An all-new collection of startlingly original verse by acclaimed multimillionaire publisher poet, Felix Dennis

Felix Dennis was imprisoned in 1971 as co-editor of OZ magazine. After his acquittal on appeal, he founded his own magazine publishing company in 1973 and made millions with the sale of Personal Computer World and MacUser in the mid-eighties. Today, Dennis Publishing remains a privately owned company with headquarters in London and New York City. Titles include The Week, Auto Express, Computer Shopper and Maxim. The annual Sunday Times Rich List estimates that Felix Dennis is the 65th richest individual in the UK. Following a life-threatening illness, his first collection of poetry, A Glass Half Full, was published in 2002. Two further collections followed in 2004 and 2006, Lone Wolf and When Jack Sued Jill. His other interests include planting trees and he divides his time between homes in Warwickshire, London, New York, Connecticut and the Caribbean island of Mustique.

Following in the footsteps of A Glass Half Full, Lone Wolf and When Jack Sued Jill, Homeless In My Heart - Felix Dennis's long-awaited new collection of verse - is 'the story of a fool whose life was saved by poetry'. 
 
Felix Dennis's life has been a long series of unlikely events: incarceration by the British government in 1971 following the longest conspiracy trial in British history; recording a chart single with John Lennon; co-authoring Muhammad Ali's first biography; becoming one of the richest individuals in Britain; launching one of the most successful media brands in the world; falling into crack cocaine addiction; beginning the task of planting a huge native broad-leaf forest in the Heart of England; salvaging the wreckage of a life dedicated to hedonism; and, lastly, and most surprisingly of all, discovering that he could write the kind of poetry that people wanted to read and to hear. 
 
Now, with the publication of Homeless In My Heart, Felix Dennis's extraordinary talents have come to fruition - from ironic tales of darkness and savagery to hymns of praise for the glories of nature. Homeless In My Heart fulfils the promise predicted by the author and critic Tom Wolfe, who has called Dennis 'a 21st-century Kipling [whose poetry] rollicks and rolls with rhyme, meter and melody'.

Lone Wolf

The second collection of original verse by the maverick multimillionaire publisher Felix Dennis.

The second collection of original verse by the maverick multimillionaire publisher Felix Dennis. 
 
Praise for Felix Dennis's first volume of poetry, A Glass Half Full: 
'The unpredictable Felix Dennis bursts forth as a 21st-century Kipling' Tom Wolfe 
'If Waugh were still alive, he would fall on Dennis's verse with a glad cry of recognition and approval' John Walsh, Independent 
'At least one of these poems will be instantly anthologised' Melvyn Bragg 
'A Glass Half Full is funny, poignant and a breath of fresh air. I loved the whole thing' Sarah Broadhurst, Bookseller 
'A Glass Half Full blew me away, Dennis is a crouching tiger about to wreak mayhem amongst the bleating lambs of English poetry' Mick Farren, author of Give the Anarchist a Cigarette 
'A fantastic collection! Rich, sumptuous and beautifully threaded' Jon Snow

The 88 Steps to Get Rich and Find Success

How to Make Money

The business wisdom of self-made millionaire Felix Dennis

Felix Dennis is a poet, a publisher and a planter of trees. Having left home at 15, he found himself living as a poverty-stricken musician in a London bedsit. Without a penny of capital and lacking any business experience whatsoever, he created a publishing and digital media empire which today operates on four continents. For many years the Sunday Times Rich List has ranked him in the Top 100 of Britain's wealthiest individuals. 
 
He is the author of numerous books, including the international bestseller How to Get Rich, and has also written five books of highly-praised verse, all of which are still in print. His poetry has been performed by the Royal Shakespeare Company on both sides of the Atlantic. His sixth book of verse, Tales From The Woods, will be published by Ebury Press in 2010. 
 
Other interests include commissioning bronze sculpture, breeding rare pigs (and occasionally eating them), drinking French wine, collecting first edition books and avoiding business meetings. His greatest ambition is to complete the planting of a large native broadleaf forest in the heart of England. He has homes in Soho, Stratford-upon-Avon, Manhattan, Connecticut and the Caribbean island of Mustique. His website address is www.felixdennis.com.

Felix Dennis is one of Britain's wealthiest self-made entrepreneurs with an estimated fortune of £500 million. And he didn't get there simply by reading about how to get rich. He went out and did it. 
 
Appreciating that those intent on becoming rich will not have the time or inclination to read page upon page of guidance and advice on the subject, Felix Dennis has reduced his own business wisdom to 88 tenets of wealth-generation, all written in his inimitable style. 
 
How to Make Money is for those determined to get rich, for those who will not confuse reading with doing, for those who seek the narrow road. (First published in hardback as 88 The Narrow Road.)

How to Get Rich

How to make money and get rich - by Felix Dennis, one of Britain's wealthiest self-made entrepreneurs

Wise, fearlessly frank and truly inspirational ... If this book doesn't get you rich, nothing ever will

Lively, authoritative ... full of honest insights. As good a guide to making it in the business as I have ever read

Well-founded advice based on hard-won experience

'Making money is a knack, a knack that can be acquired. And if someone like me can become rich, then so can you - no matter what your present circumstances. Here is how I did it and what I learned along the way.' So writes Felix Dennis, who believes that almost anyone of reasonable intelligence can become rich, given sufficient motivation and application. 
 
How To Get Rich is a distillation of his business wisdom. Primarily concerned with the step-by-step creation of wealth, it ruthlessly dissects the business failures and financial triumphs of 'a South London lad who became rich virtually by accident'. Part manual, part memoir, part primer, this book is a template for those who are willing to stare down failure and transform their lives. 
 
Canny, infuriating, cynical and generous by turns, How To Get Rich is an invaluable guide to 'the surprisingly simple art of collecting money which already has your name on it'.

When Jack Sued Jill

An acerbically funny collection of original verse by maverick multimillionaire publisher Felix Dennis

The unpredictable Felix Dennis bursts forth as a 21st-century Kipling

If Waugh were still alive, he would fall on Dennis's verse with a glad cry of recognition and approval

Felix Dennis was imprisoned in 1971 as co-editor of OZ magazine. After his acquittal on appeal, he founded his own magazine publishing company in 1973 and made millions with the sale of Personal Computer World and MacUser in the mid-eighties. Today , Dennis Publishing remains a privately owned company with headquarters in London and New York City. Titles include The Week, Auto Express, Computer Shopper and Maxim. The annual Sunday Times Rich List estimates that Felix Dennis is the 65th richest individual in the UK. Following a life-threatening illness, his first collection of poetry, A Glass Half Full was published by Hutchinson and the second, Lone Wolf, in 2004. His other interests include planting trees and he divides his time between homes in Warwickshire, London, New York, Connecticut and the Caribbean island of Mustique.

When Jack Sued Jill is the latest collection of original verse by maverick multimillionaire publisher Felix Dennis. Taking the innocence of nursery rhymes and turning them into something altogether darker, Dennis turns his piercing eye on the follies and absurdities of modern life. 
 
From ASBOs to Osama Bin Laden, creationism to crack houses, Humpty Dumpty to Tony Blair, nothing and no one is spared. Even more shockingly, once you've read Dennis's updating of 'Little Miss Muffet', you'll never be able to think of her in the same way again. 
 
Scathing and hilarious, imaginative and unpredictable, When Jack Sued Jill is an essential collection of twisted nursery rhymes for the twenty-first century.

Felix Dennis

You feel he lived it so richly, so dangerously, to be so wise for our delight.

I love his poetry. With moments of real genius, some of his poems will last as long as poetry is read

In October 2013 Felix Dennis was told he had terminal cancer. He was in the midst of a 30-day poetry reading tour, and characteristically he chose to continue, performing to sell-out audiences with his legendary verve and enthusiasm. He also began compiling this, his tenth, book of verse. Divided into two parts: the first, 'Premonitions', is a selection of poems written over the years when, in Dennis's words, 'the heart knew what the mind dared not perceive'. Having always lived on the edge, he intuited an early death. The second part, 'A Verse Diary', consists of poems slected by Dennis from the many he wrote between the date of his terminal diagnosis and his death. Poems which, he felt, were possibly the best he had ever written. Topped and tailed with the Author's Notes, this book takes readers on a physical, emotional and psychological journey. Sadly, Felix Dennis did not live to see its publication.

Felix Dennis

Praise for I Just Stepped Out

You feel he lived it so richly, so dangerously, to be so wise for our delight.

I love his poetry. With moments of real genius, some of his poems will last as long as poetry is read

Books by Felix Dennis

Follow penguin

Follow ladybird

Follow puffin

Sign up to the Penguin newsletter