A POET who shot to fame by using Instagram to share his work during lockdown is set to release a new book.

Blake Auden’s fourth book Murmuration comprises poems on the topics of life in isolation, loss, heartbreak and mental health.

The Hove-born poet says the book takes inspiration from his home town – specifically a mass of starlings he used to watch over the sea.

The 37-year-old, known as the "social poet", rose to fame during lockdown after sharing a series of "micro poems" on Instagram.

Blake now has more than 250,000 followers under the handle @BlakeAudenPoetry.

Following the release of his three previous books of poetry - Tell the Bird’s She’s Gone, Beekeeper and The Things We Leave Behind – Murmuration aims to “find ways to heal and show that the future can survive the past”.

Blake said he hopes his followers will be drawn to the vulnerability and poignancy of the poems in the new 192-page book.

“I’ve suffered with anxiety for most of my adult life, but it’s been pretty severe at points in the last few years, as I’m sure it has been for so many navigating the challenges of life during the pandemic,” he said.

“I strongly feel that anxiety and mental health are not topics that we –particularly men -should shy away from, especially when it’s justified as it has been collectively in 2020 and 2021.

The Argus: Blake Auden’s fourth book Murmuration comprises poems on the topics of life in isolation, loss, heartbreak and mental health Blake Auden’s fourth book Murmuration comprises poems on the topics of life in isolation, loss, heartbreak and mental health

“Writing is one of the ways I deal with my personal anxieties, and I’m extremely open and honest about them in the pages of Murmuration.

“It’s important to me to keep the conversation around mental health on the agenda – and without shame or stigma attached - and these poems are to remind readers that they are not alone in whatever they are experiencing.”

The book was written entirely during the Covid-19 lockdown.

Growing up with a father in the military, Blake began reading war poetry from an early age.

He says he became fascinated with the ability of prose to capture both traumatic and cathartic experiences.

His work now focuses on loss, heartbreak and mental health.

As an advocate for mental health, Blake says he is driven by bringing poetry further into the mainstream.

The book is available at Waterstones for £15 ahead of World Mental Health Day on October 10.