Boyish by Cal O’Reilly, in its humble qualifier, is a pamphlet that pays attention to the gentle, inevitable ways we become something. These poems are assured, dextrous and delightfully various, and, most of all, they are perforated with an infectious tenacity that will remind you of “some / reserve you didn’t know you had”. Cal O’Reilly is the real deal.

Cal O’Reilly is a poet from Wexford, currently studying in Belfast. His poems have been published by Dedalus Press, Banshee, Magma, Fruitslice, catflap, fourteen poems and others. He was selected for the Poetry Ireland Introductions Series in 2025.