Marina Diamandis has released five albums – but she’s writing like she never has before, in a poetry book exploring, among other things, her experience of an eating disorder. The singer, who was formerly known as Marina and the Diamonds, had never had an interest in poems. But a couple of summers ago she found herself "writing lyrics that didn't fit into songs" after taking psychedelics.
The result is Eat The World, a collection that has been described by Vanity Fair as "insightful and introspective" – and the 39-year-old says the book expands on a feeling of loneliness she’s had her whole life. The poems tackle an assortment of topics including sour relationships, the pros and cons of living in LA, becoming comfortable with yourself as a woman in your 30s - they also describe how the singer dealt with having bulimia in her 20s. "There are parallels to the themes in my music," she adds.
"I think one of the main themes has been a sense of feeling isolated in some way in my life, or not feeling like I belonged." The first poem she shared on social media was called Aspartame – named after the artificial sweetener. It tells the story of the singer moving to LA aged 20, trying to win the affection of a man, while being in the throes of an eating disorder.
Bulimia is an eating disorder and mental health condition where people binge on food and then make themselves vomit, take laxatives or exercise excessively – and while anyone can get it, the NHS says it’s more commo.
