We’re excited to share the release of the first anthology from Mercurius Magazine — a groundbreaking collection of contemporary surrealist and absurdist poetry.
Edited by Marcus Silcock, Vik Shirley, Thoman Helm, and Benjamin Niespodziany, this volume brings together over 80 poets whose work challenges conventional form and embraces the strange, the uncanny, and the beautifully unclassifiable. Spanning 370 pages, the anthology offers a rare and expansive look at the evolving terrain of surreal-absurd poetics.
This is more than a book — it’s a celebration of language at its most inventive and unpredictable. Whether you’re a longtime enthusiast of surrealism or newly curious, Mercurius invites you to explore a literary space where logic loosens and imagination takes the lead.
We extend our deepest thanks to all the contributors who made this book what it is, and to everyone who continues to support the strange and the luminous in contemporary literature.
👉 Learn more and order your copy here
About Mercurius Magazine and the Surreal-Absurd
Founded in 2020, Mercurius Magazine has grown into a dedicated platform for contemporary surrealist writing. Editors Thomas Helm and Marcus Silcock coined the term surreal-absurd to describe a distinct poetic mode — one that blends surrealism with minimalist structure, absurdist tone, and narrative elements, often favoring the prose poem.
While many poets were already working in this style, their voices were scattered across various publications. Helm and Silcock envisioned a space where this form could thrive — one that embraced immediacy, accessibility, and a kind of joyful weirdness. Their goal was to create a home for poetry that speaks to the present moment and resonates with a wide range of readers.
Never Mind the Beasts 
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