By Under the ornate ceiling of Los Angeles’ Wilshire Ebell Theatre, a neon orange and pink book glowed like a beacon in Marina Lambrini Diamandis’ hands.
On Oct. 30, the platinum pop singer, formerly known as Marina and the Diamonds, emerged from a creative hiatus to unveil “Eat the World,” a raw collection of poetry chronicling 15 years of her life’s darkest corners and brightest revelations.
As Diamandis stepped into the spotlight, purple velvet drapes framed her silhouette and the theater full of fans erupted into a cascade of screams and applause.
The evening unfolded as an intimate conversation between artist and audience, where poetry and visual design intertwined to tell Diamandis’ story of transformation.
All aspects of the night’s presentation were thought out, as Diamandis explained that the vibrant orange and pink palette reflects her tumultuous journey.
“It felt like every day my life was turned up by 100 at any given moment,” Diamandis said. “I didn’t even really listen to music prior to creating my own music career.”
Diamandis revealed that poetry was once foreign territory for her as well. Yet in “Eat the World,” she dives into the themes of eating disorders, profound loneliness and the shadows of substance use and tumultuous relationships.
The collection traces Diamandis’ journey from her Welsh hometown to the sun-soaked streets of California, where she chased her musical dreams while grappling with toxic relationships— with both men and with food.
It was here, four years ago, that Diamandis found herself drawn back to Los Angeles, seeking an anonymity that would inspire her poem, “Hotel Riche.”
During one warm summer night, an experience with the psychedelic, psilocybin, sparked an epiphany, one Diamandis said she needed to “alchemize her pain” into words.
Even her book’s title serves as a clever yet poignant metaphor for Diamandis’ struggles with bulimia and her feelings towards her life; it’s a battle her devoted fans might have seen a glimpse of in her “Electra Heart” era lyrics from the song “Teen Idle.”
“I want blood, guts and angel cake. I’m gonna puke it anyway,” Diamandis sings.
Her candor about these struggles has been a constant thread throughout her career, a power struggle between enjoying herself and feeling miserable.
“We are in this weird stage online where the intensity of portraying a certain image is greater than ever,” Diamandis said, her voice carrying across the hushed theater. “Writing this book has been so refreshing… there’s no space online to be yourself, it’s gross.”
She urged her audience to embrace creative expression regardless of emotional state and to transform both joy and pain into art.
Perhaps the heart of her work beats strongest, in poems such as “Million Tiny Knives,” which was born from a seven-year relationship that tied her self-worth to its turbulent rhythms.
In “Cocoon,” her personal favorite, Diamandis explores how women often normalize difficult relationships, mistaking toxic patterns for temporary phases showcasing this through a butterfly’s evolution throughout the book and eventually finding peace and freedom to conquer her loneliness.
“I ate the whole world, and I’ll eat it forever,” she said.
The poetry collection marks not an endpoint but a new beginning for Diamandis– she already envisions another collection within the next four to five years, suggesting her newfound voice has much more to say.
“Eat the World” was released internationally on Oct. 29, and can be purchased from several book retailers here.
