Exiled Writers Ink ! - Publications

ON THIS PAGE:
- Exiled Ink Magazine
- Anthologies by Jennifer Langer
- Booklets published by Exiled Writers Ink
- Bibliography: books by exiled writers
- Publishing Poetry by Daljit Nagra

EXILED INK! MAGAZINE

New innovative magazine reflecting exciting, different voices in a new cultural environment.
Literature, discussion, commentary.

The magazine is unique in providing an insight into dislocation and cultures of exile, both through the voices of exiled writers and through their literary work.

From 'The Middle East in London', June 2009, published: SOAS, University of London

EXILED INK MAGAZINE AND POSTAGE COSTS:
UK costs: £4 plus £1 postage and packing
Subscription: £15 for 3 issues to include postage and packing.
Cheque made payable to: Exiled Writers Ink, 31 Hallswelle Road, London NW11 0DH

Overseas costs: magazine and postage and packing rates:
Europe - £4: magazine and £2 postage and packing
USA - £4: magazine plus £3.50 postage and packing

Overseas subscriptions:
Europe: 31 euros to include postage and packing
World Zones 1 and 2:
42 US dollars to include postage and packing
45 Canadian dollars incl p & p
306 South African rands incl p & p
52 Australian dollars incl p & p
PLEASE TRANSFER MONIES TO:
International Bank Account Number: GB13 CPBK 0892 9965 0581 65
Bank Identification Code: CPBK GB22

EXILED INK! MAGAZINE

Issue 13,
SUMMER 2010

CONTENTS

LITERATURE BY TURKISH LANGUAGE WRITERS:
Ayhan Mimtas - Fatma Durmush - Aydin Mehmet-Ali - Ergin Günçe -Moris Farhi - Rachel Garfield - Alev Adil - Janna Eliot - Munzer Çem

EXILED SOUTH AFRICA:
Catherine Tchitembo - Beverley Naidoo - Marion Baraitser - Philippa Rees - Tendai Mwanaka - Shelley Weiner - Daniel Kunene by Fathieh Saudi

WRITING HUMAN RIGHTS:
Rouhi Shafii - Esmail Khoi by David Clark

MOTHERS AND DAUGHTERS:
Alma Verija - Rahila Khalwa - Shanta Acharya - Shereen Pandit - Philippa Rees - Choman Hardi -Alev Adil - Jennifer Langer - Jude Rosen - Sahra Mohammed - Yolande M Deane

THE OTHER:
Ivy Vernon - Rizwan Aktar - Anna Maria Mickiewicz - O. T. Mukozho - Parham Shahrjerdi - Almog Behar

IMAGININGS:
Marisol Tellez - Shirin Razavian - Reza Ghassemi - Nahida Izzat

REVIEWS:
Every Year, Every Day, I am Walking reviewed by Shereen Pandit - Sonata for Four Hands by Amarjit Chandon reviewed by Christina Viti - My Father’s Paradise by Ariel Sabar reviewed by Jennifer Langer

EXILED INK! MAGAZINE

Issue 12,
AUTUMN/WINTER 2009

CONTENTS

Conflict Zones - Sri Lanka
Poetry: R. Cheran, Thirumavalavan, Sivamohan Sumathy
Prose: Rohini Hensman
Articles: Sri Lankan Tamil Poetry - Rohini Hensman, Historical Background - Lakshmi Holmstrom

Iran
Poetry: Sholeh Wolpe, Esther Kamkar, Majid Naficy, Afshin Babzadeh, Reza Hiwa
Articles: Last Straw for Iranians - Fariba Marzban, Haleh Esfandiari - Claire Messud

Syria (Kurdish)
Poetry: Hussein Habash

Chechyna
Poetry: Mikhail Isin Eldin
Article: Apti Bisultanov - Sieglinde Geisel
Short Story: Tamara Islamova

Bosnia
Theatre Production and Script excerpts

Exiled Writers Ink National Mentoring and Translation Project
Poetry and Prose

Latin American Exile
Prose: Marta Raquel Zabelata Hinrichsen/ Alfredo Cordal
Poetry: Gisela Jachniuk

Exiled from Israel
Poetry: Haim Bresheeth

Writing Africa
Short Story: Fiston Mwanza
Poetry: Kiluanji Kush
Article: Caine Prize: Nisha Jones

Reviews
Anthology of Somali Literature - review: Stephen Watts
Leaving Tangiers by Tahar Ben Jelloun - review: Albert Pellicer
Rooftops of Tehran by Sholeh Wolpe - review: Jeremy Edward Shiok
Like Myth and Mother by S. Sumathy - review: Lynette Craig

EXILED INK! MAGAZINE

Issue 11,
Spring/Summer 2009

CONTENTS

India and Exile

- Poetry: Shanta Achariya - Yuyutsu Sharma - Imtiaz Dharker - Laila Sumpton - Mahmood Jamal - Anna Sujatha Mathai - Daljit Nagra

- Articles: Home by Madhubanti Bhattacharyya - Mahmood Jamal: Meditating on Poetry by Laila Sumpton - Whose Word is it Anyway? by Mahmood Jamal

Tribute to Mahmoud Darwish

- Remembering Mahmoud Darwish by Fathieh Saudi

- The River that Died of Thirst - I Know the Stranger by Mahmoud Darwish

Reflections of Iran

- Poetry: Ali abdolrezaei - Abol Froushan - Hiva Panahi

- Articles: Rouhi Darakhshani by Jennifer Langer - The Agitation Days by Fariba Marzban

Tales of Return

- Return to Iran by Soheila Ghodstinat

- Memories Revisited by Miriam Frank

Feasting on Words

- Future Poet Laureate by Charles Simic

- The Right to Dream by Hassan Bahri

- Poetic Journey by Mir Mahfuz Ali

Perspectives

- Poetry: Chinwe Azuibuike - Roohi Majid - Eric Ngalle Charles - Yousaf Mukhtar - Handsen Chikowore

Tibet

Article: Tibet's Rebel Poets: Creativity in Exile by Sonali Joshi

Reviews

- Belonging edited by Niloufar Talebi - reviewed by Richard Jeffrey Newman

- The Wooden Tongue Speaks by Bogdan Tiganov - reviewed by Esther Lipton

- Baghdad Memories by Ivy Vernon - reviewed by Emile Cohen

- The Yasen Tree by Milorad Krystanovich - reviewed by Lynette Craig

- Jovenes Sin Fronteras by Properuvian Arts - reviewed by Sofia Buchuck

EXILED INK! MAGAZINE

Issue 10,
Autumn/Winter 2008

CONTENTS

Love

Love in Conflict: Bosnia; Interview with Hong Ying; Poetry by Tinashe Mushakavanhu, Ade Olaiya, Nahida Izzat, Freddy Macha, Albert Pellicer, Majid Naficy, Fathieh Saudi; New Narratives of Love in African Writing; Classical Persian Love Literature; Masculine Law; Forbidden Love: Coffee Cup by Nora Nadjarian, Gay Iranians in Germany, White Rock by Ghazi Rabihavi

The Exiled Poetry of the Western Sahara

Two Journeys: Yvan Tetelbom and The Reader Within Me by Majid Naficy

Exiled Writers Ink Mentoring and Translation Scheme An Overview and From the Chap books

Iranian Azerbaijani Literature

War and the Grotesque Headless by Ghazi Gheblawi and Halaji by M.A.Kargar

Reviews

Oranges in Times of Moon by Carlos Reyes-Manzo, reviewed by Valeria. Baker

Wedding Day at the Cro-Magnons by Wajdi Mouawad, reviewed by Esther Lipton

If Salt Has Memory edited by Jennifer Langer, reviewed by David Clark

Riding Pisces by Yang Lian, reviewed by Lynette Craig

From Baghdad to Bedlam by Maged Kadar, reviewed by Mara Lockowand

In Riskdom Where I Lived by Ali Abdolrezaei reviewed by Mansor Pooyan

Working Children of India by Lalit Nagpaul reviewed by Jana Eliot

EXILED INK! MAGAZINE

Issue 9,
Spring/Summer 2008

Magazine of exiled literature
This issue includes photographs by Koutaiba Al-Janabi
Contents:
Exiled Arab Writers and Literature
Poetry by: Mahmoud Darwish - Fady Joudah - Tajia Al-Baghdadi - Ghazi Gheblawi - Nahida Yasin - Bashir Al Gamar - Ehab Bessaiso
Interviews with:
Hanan Al-Shaykh
Nawal al Saadawi
Samir Al Youssef
Ghias Al Jundi
Articles about: Mourid Barghouti and Iraqi exiled writers
Prose by: Nesreen Melek
Exiled Playwrights Interviewed
Jean-Louis N'tadi - Congo
Bart Wolffe - Zimbabwe
Alfredo Cordal - Chile
Ana Candida Carneiro - Brazil
True Heart Theatre - China
Zimbabwean Poets
Biko Mutsaurwa - Victor Mavedzenge - William G. Mbwembe
Connecting with England: Poetry by Ayar Ata
Reviews
The Stones of Somewhere by Bart Wolffe: reviewed David Clark
The Prophets by Fatieh Saudi: reviewed Lynette Craig
Silent Voices: An Anthology of Writings by Contemporary British Somalis: reviewed Isabelle Romaine
Beyond the Horizon by Esmail Khoi: reviewed Lotfali Khonji
State of Emergency by Adel Guemar: reviewed Esther Lipton
The Butterfly's Burden by Mahmoud Darwish: reviewed Fathieh Saudi
FUNDED BY THE ARTS COUNCIL

Review of this issue of Exiled Ink magazine in Arabic:click here.

EXILED INK! MAGAZINE

Issue 8,
Winter 2007/08

Contents:
Integration: Exiled Writers and Literature

Poetry by Adel Guemar, Bart Wolffe, Humberto Gatica, Nkosana Mpofu, Jean-Louis N'tadi, Handsen Chikowore, interview with Philippa Rees by Isabelle Romaine, article: Finding a Place by Moniza Alvi, The Unbearable Strangeness of Being: Tena Stivicic's Fragile by Emily Rhodes

On Translation by Miriam Frank and Andrea Pisac

Iraqi poets on Iraq: Tajia Al Baghdadi, Salah Niazi, Wafaa Abdul Razak, Gareeb Iskander and the Iranian poet: Magid Naficy;

Interview with Dubaravka Ugresic by Vesna Domany Hardy

Articles on Rrahman Dedaj and Ziba Karbassi by Jennifer Langer

Kaleidoscope of Africa by Freddy Macha and Isabelle Romaine

Reviews: books: Unheard Voices, Symphony of the Dead, F-Words reviewed by Janna Eliot, Lotfali Khonji

Reviews: Events: New Writing Worlds, Academia Rossica's Russian Film Festival

Cover image by:
Shahrokh Reisi entitled: 'Ziba's Shadow'

EXILED INK! MAGAZINE

Issue 7,
Summer 2007

Contents:
The Landscape of Exiled Women with poetry, prose and essays on a range of subject areas including Ayan Hirsi, Nwal Al Sadaawi, Crossing the Border, Exiled D. R.Congolese women writers, the male perspective, poetry etc by Mehrangiz Rassapour, Keena-Diid Caynaane, Abdullahi Botan, Jennifer Langer, Rouhi Shafii, Reza Baraheni, Isabelle Romaine, Pireeni Sundaralingam, Sulaiman Addonia and Fathieh Saudi

The Poetic Exilic Space with poetry by Shanta Acharya, Yuyutsu RD Sharma, Mark Hill, Mir Mahfuz Ali, Nkwachukwu Ogbuagu and Fathieh Saudi

Russian and Chechen Spaces with essays on Ilya Kormiltsev, German Sadulaev and Andrey Platonov by: Miriam Frank, Anna Gunin and Robert Chandler

Balkan Past Times: Poetry and prose by Valbona Voca Bashota, Mirza Muštovic and Sonja Besford

The Making of a Dissident Writer by Shereen Pandit

Reviews of books and films including essay on film and censorship: Lynette Craig, Janna Eliot, Nia Davies, David Clark, Cristina Viti and Nathalie Teitler

Books reviewed: Bells of Speech by Nazand Begikhani, Look, we have coming to Dover by Daljit Nagra, The Reluctant Fundamentalist by Mohsin Hamid, The Myrtle Tree by Jad El Hage

EXILED INK! MAGAZINE

Issue 6,
Winter 2006

Contents:
War and its Long Shadows:
Chile, Rwanda, DR Congo, Kurdistan, Palestine, Israel, Iran, Yemen, Lebanon - by Humberto Gatica, Aime Kongolo, Reza Jalali, Ada Aharoni, Ernesto Kahan, Mois Benarroch, Shireen Jayyusi, Nathalie Handal, Nora Nadjarian, Nasrin Parvaz, Mogib Hassan, Article 19 Researcher, James Graham, Jennifer Langer, Isabelle Romaine
Perspectives in Exile:
Tenzin Tsundue, Robert Kabemba Mangidi, Soad El-Rgaig, Malcolm Peltu and interview with Chenjerai Hove,
The Creative Process:
Ziba Karbassi, Yashar Ahad Saremi
Reviews:
Books:
Worm Head by Bart Wolffe
Migrating Birds by Jaleh Esfahani, translated Rouhi Shafii
Pomegranate Hearts by Rouhi Shafii
Qissat: Short Stories by Palestinian Women
Settela by Aad Wagenaar, translated Janna Eliot
Drama:
The Persian Revolution by Mehrdad Seyf
Visual Arts:
Ze Tubia, Angolan artist
Rafat Asad, Palestinian artist

EXILED INK! MAGAZINE

Issue 5,
Spring/Summer 2006

Zimbabwean Writers and Literature in Exile - Bart Wolffe, Hilton Mendelsohn, Brian Chikwava, Thabo Nkomo, Michael Dakwa, Tsitsi Damgarembga, Yvonne Vera

Poets on Memory - Reza Hiwa, Alla Dudayeva, Nigar Hasan-Zadeh, Sholeh Wolpe, Adel Soleiman Guemar, Karin Altenburg

Exiled Writers on Exiled Writers - Kamal Mirawdeli, Vesna Domany Hardy, Bashir Sakhawarz, Miriam Frank

Reviews - Valbona Bashota, Janna Eliot, Isabelle Romaine, Soheila Ghodstinat, Jennifer Langer, David Clark

44 pages - £3 or £4-00 p & p

31 Hallswelle Road, London NW11 0DH

Cheque payable to Exiled Writers Ink at the above address

EXILED INK! MAGAZINE

Issue 4, Winter 2005/6

44 pages - includes a special feature on Iranian writers and literature with articles by Farideh Goldin and Hammed Shahidian and literature by Esmail Khoi, Reza Baraheni, Ziba Karbassi, Ali Abdolrezaie, Gazi Rabihavi and Shadab Vajdi. The general section contains newly translated poetry by Wafaa Abdul Razak as well as poetry by Yang Lian, an essay on translating Yang Lian's poetry by Brian Holton, poetry by Bogdan Tiganov and Nora Nadjarian and an article on human rights in Turkey by Richard McKane. The seciton entitled New World Order includes poetry by Yuyutsu R.D. Sharma, Mir Mahfuz Ali and Dennis Evans and a prose piece by Soheila Ghodstinat. The reviews' section includes reviews of The Silver Throat of the Moon edited by Jennifer Langer, Creativity in Exile edited by Michael Hanne, the poetry collection Reflecting on Reflections by Moises Castillo Florian, the novel Ghost Tide by Yoyo, Versions of Zimbabwe by R. Muponde and R. Primorac and of The Lake Fewa and a Horse by Yuyutsu R. Sharma. The magazine is beautifully illustrated.

EXILED INK! MAGAZINE

Issue 3

Poetry – Khasrow Mustafa, Luisa Igloria, Richard McKane, Miroslav Jancic, Afshin Babazadeh, Stella Maris, Razia Ishrat-Khan
Prose – Lisa Appignanesi, Aydin Mehmet-Ali
European Exiled Voices – poetry and prose by exiled writers living in Italy, Poland, and Belgium and articles on exiled writers and literature of Italy and Belgium
Africa 05 – Ken Saro-Wiwa, Abdalla Bashir-Khairi, Chinwe Azubuike
Essays
Reviews of events and publications

TO ORDER A COPY:
Send a cheque for £3-50 (includes p & p) made payable to:
Exiled Writers Ink!
31 Hallswelle Road,
London NW11 ODH

Please include name and address to which magazine should be sent.

EXILED INK! MAGAZINE

Issue 2

ISSN No 1744-1498

Subjects covered in the second issue include: creating poetry in exile, literary perspectives of Israelis on Arabs and Arabs on Israelis, Kurdish female identity, Meeting the Enemy, and culture and Europe amongst others. In addition, the magazine contains poetry and short stories by writers originating from a wide range of countries: China, Iran, Zimbabwe, Peru, Somalia, Afghanistan and Turkey. The magazine also contains reviews of books and events as well as images by artists from Syria, Kurdistan and South Africa.

TO ORDER A COPY:
Send a cheque for £3-50 (includes p & p) made payable to:
Exiled Writers Ink!
31 Hallswelle Road,
London NW11 ODH

Please include name and address to which magazine should be sent.

EXILED INK! MAGAZINE

Issue 1

Subjects covered in the first issue in articles by exiled academics and writers include Readers in Exile and Kurdish Women Writers in Exile, as well as Writing as an Act of Witness and an interview with writer and literary activist, Moris Farhi MBE. In addition, the magazine contains poetry and short stories by writers originating from a wide range of countries: Albania, Azerbaijan, Bangladesh, Colombia, Congo, Cyprus, Eritrea, Iran, Kurdistan, Peru, Somalia and South Africa. The magazine also contains reviews of books, films and events and is beautifully illustrated throughout by Kurdish artist, Rebwar.

TO ORDER A COPY:
Send a cheque for £3-50 (includes p & p) made payable to:
Exiled Writers Ink!
31 Hallswelle Road,
London NW11 ODH

Please include name and address to which magazine should be sent.

ANTHOLOGIES OF EXILED LITERATURE EDITED BY JENNIFER LANGER

If Salt Has Memory

391 pages
ISBN 978-1-905512-36-2,
£11.99

Available from bookshops or, post free, from
Five Leaves Publications,
PO Box 8786, Nottingham, NG1 9AW

Tel: 0115 9693597
info@fiveleaves.co.uk
www.fiveleaves.co.uk

If Salt Has Memory explores exile in the modern Jewish world. The book is not directly connected to the Holocaust, but reflects another layer of Jewish exile among those who had to leave their homes for political or literary reasons. In many cases, however, the book gives voice to those who had to leave in the face of ethnic cleansing.
If Salt Has Memory comprises essays, memoir and fiction by Jewish writers in exile from many lands — contributors include the former leader of the Tupamaros guerrillas in Uruguay, a philosopher from Tunisia, a playwright from Zimbabwe, and writers from Yemen, Libya, Bosnia, Cuba. Poland, Ethiopia, Turkey, Hungary and South Africa. Jewish writers in exile from Iraq, Iran and South America are well represented. Many of the essays appear in English for the first time.
Contributors include Andre Aciman (author of Out of Egypt); Eli Amir (Farewell, Baghdad); Ariel Dorfman (Death and the Maiden); Moris Farhi (Children of the Rainbow); Nairn Kattan (Farewell Babylon); Sami Michael (Trumpet in the Wadi); Gillian Slovo (author of the Orange Prize short-listed Ice Road); George Szirtes (winner of the TS Eliot prize for poetry); Albert Memmi (The Colonizer and the Colonized). Many other contributors are also well known internationally, writing in English, Arabic, Hebrew, Spanish and other languages.
Jennifer Langer established Exiled Writers Ink - the organisation of refugee writers, based in London. She is the daughter of refugee parents and the editor of three previous Five Leaves collections by refugee and exiled writers.

Silver Throat of the Moon

325 pages,
ISNB 0-907123-65-1,
£9.99

Available from bookshops or, post free, from
Five Leaves Publications,
PO Box 8786, Nottingham, NG1 9AW

Tel: 0115 9693597
info@fiveleaves.co.uk
www.fiveleaves.co.uk

Five Leaves Publications is pleased to announce a new anthology by refugee and exiled writers. Silver Throat of the Moon includes prose and poetry from writers originating in countries as diverse as Algeria and Zimbabwe, Somalia and Iran, Kurdistan and Afghanistan.

As well as poetry, memoir and fiction the collection includes a series of essays about being writers in exile. These articles range from the difficulties in holding on to traditional rural imagery in Somali literature through to the, perhaps temporary identity of a whole generation of young writers of Algerian origin whose lives have been spent entirely in France.

Some contributors, including, Choman Hardi, Sousa Jamba, Reza Baraheni, Yang Lian, Dubravka Ugresic and the late Miroslav Jancic are now well known internationally for their writing in English; others, including Maxamed Ibrahim 'Hadraawi', Ziba Karbassi and Saadi Youssef are appreciated internationally but may be new to readers of English. Many of the writers are members of Exiled Writers Ink - a London-based organisation set up by Jennifer Langer, editor of Silver Throat of the Moon.

CROSSING THE BORDER
Voices of Refugee and Exiled Women Writers

Edited by Jennifer Langer

300 Pages
Five Leaves Publications
ISBN 0-907123-63-5
Price: £9.99
Available Now

Women and children make up 80% of the world's refugee population, yet their voices are seldom heard.

In Crossing The Border, women writers from Somalia, Afghanistan, Algeria, Iran, Iraq, Kurdistan, Turkey, Northen Cyprus, Bosnia, Kosova and the Congo tell their stories. All the women are refugees or are living in exile.

In addition to the stories and memories, Crossing The Border includes articles on women's lives and on women's writing in each of these countries.

Those publications are available from selected bookshops and direct from
Five Leaves Publications Five Leaves Publications, PO Box 8786, Nottingham, NG1 9AW
info@fiveleaves.co.uk
www.fiveleaves.co.uk
Tel: 0115 9693597

THE BEND IN THE ROAD:
REFUGEES WRITING

Edited by Jennifer Langer

208 Pages
Five Leaves Publications
ISBN 0-907123-37-6

The Bend in the Road Teaching Pack

12 A4 Pages,
ISBN 0-907123-42-2
Price: £5.00

Refugees bring with them a new culture, language and perspective. The writer in exile can be a link between cultures, nations and peoples. Exile is one of the earliest phenomena of human existence.

In this book, recent refugees describe their lives in fiction, poetry and memories. Most of the contributors are well-known in their countries of origin - Miroslav Jancic (Bosnia), Sherko Bekas (Kurdistan), Buland Al-Haidari (Iraq), Pius Ngandu Nkashama (Zaire), Maxamed Ibraahim 'Hadraawi' (Somalia) and many more.

As well as refugees' own writing, The Bend In The Road includes an outline of the political history and literary tradition of the countries covered.

Jennifer Langer, herself the daughter of refugees, works in refugee education in London.

"This book should be compulsory reading for every Home Office official and immigration appeals adjudicator." Race and Class.

"The breadth of the material is impressive." Times Educational Supplement.

Those publications are available from selected bookshops and direct from
Five Leaves Publications Five Leaves Publications, PO Box 8786, Nottingham, NG1 9AW
info@fiveleaves.co.uk
www.fiveleaves.co.uk
Tel: 0115 9693597

BOOKLETS PUBLISHED BY EXILED WRITERS INK

'The Fleeing Garden: Kurdish Exiled Voices'

Edited by Choman Hardi

Published 2006 by Exiled Writers Ink

The Fleeing Garden: Kurdish Exiled Voices is available at £3 (plus postage and packing) from Exiled Writers Ink!

Reviewed By Bianca Brigitte Bonomi for the Institute of Race Relations.

The organisation Exiled Writers Ink has published a collection of poems and stories by Kurdish writers living in England. The anthology, entitled The Fleeing Garden: Kurdish Exiled Voices brings together writers from a variety of Kurdish backgrounds, and platforms the work of both established and aspiring poets.

The variety of subjects explored in the anthology, which derives its title from Kareem Omar's opening poem, reflects both the range of regions and countries drawn from and the individual concerns of the poets. The process and reality of exile is succinctly, yet powerfully conveyed in Huriye Gunes' 'Arrival': 'Our journey took 24 hours./ When we arrived/ we had left behind/ our childhood and a wonderland.' Within just four lines, the poet captures the transient nature of a life in exile. The duration of a day marks the dawn of adulthood and an irretrievable loss so that the break with the past becomes a break with the self. This is also evident in the prose piece 'Leaving', by Sevar Mohammed Najat, in which the speaker flees his village to escape the war and the reminders of death and battle embedded in the environment. Yet he admits paradoxically that 'I am leaving my beloved home to bid the perpetual reminder of death farewell, but either way, I will die as I leave'.

In the beautifully poignant 'Promenade', by Hiwa Reza, the mountains bear the scars of brutality, with war wounds manifesting themselves in the form of 'holes made by freshly exploded mines', whilst the loss associated with exile is similarly reflected in the destruction and decomposition of the man-made environment, lined with 'Burned houses'. This visual mark of domestic degeneration finds an even greater symbolism within the human. The barrenness extends to the body, with natural processes becoming disabled, so that the self becomes a reflection of the environment and the speaker is left, 'Crying without tears/ The dried oceans'. The exiled man, like the charred and blistered houses, is reduced to a dry husk, an empty shell, becoming little more than 'An ex-man, a zombie'.

Poems are interwoven with reminiscences of the homeland, but are also laced with the bitter realisation that for many exiles, the land of birth will only ever be a distant memory. Sevar Mohammed Najat explores the tension created by exile in 'Good morning Kurdistan', in which the speaker repeatedly salutes his homeland and its inhabitants, whilst admitting that it is a 'land I'll never know'. The final line, 'I say good morning to you/ like a passer-by I don't quite know' elucidates the alienation felt by the exile community, both a part of, and a severed tie with, their native country. The idea that Kurdistan is both anterior to the speaker's present life and central to it is suggested by the fact that the speaker salutes his country like a 'passer-by', a mere acquaintance as opposed to a true friend.

Uncertainty is a prevalent theme in many of the poems, highlighted through the rhetorically titled 'Can We?', in which Huriya Gunes asks the collective audience 'Can we leave the war behind?/ Can we?/ But/ How and why?' Similarly, in 'Walking', another poem whose title refers to motion and instability, Yasin Aziz explores 'the huge gap of boredom' experienced by exiles in a foreign land and the nameless speaker 'wonders, when, how, what is the end.' The subject occupies a monotonous, dreary world in which time is a seemingly endless expanse which needs to be filled, but his torrent of questions finds no resolution.

In 'Promenade', the audience is confronted by the weight of the speaker's sadness and unsurety and the poem is characterised by the exile's recognition that his future is unknown and indefinite. The desire to return to his homeland pervades his heart as 'He flees his country/ Hoping to return/ One day certainly', but this firm conviction is swiftly and deftly replaced by mere possibility, 'One day, maybe'. The undercutting of the former statement with the harsh reality of the latter recalls Voltaire's recognition that whilst 'doubt is not a pleasant mental state, certainty is a ridiculous one', a truth which is demonstrated by many of the poets. Reza similarly exposes the exile's lack of certainty when he abandons his homeland through the use of the unanswered question '(For how long?)', placed in parenthesis to emphasise its status as an aside; a question that torments the mind but one that cannot be resolved, a question which will one day become a sheer memory itself. The landscape, those 'magnificent mountains of Kurdistan', drifts into the realms of memory, becoming a 'Mountain of souvenirs', before transforming into a metaphorical 'mountain of questions/ Of unknowns', a peak of uncertainty which cannot be crossed. The final line of the poem highlights the exile's need to cling to hope in an increasingly uncertain world, hoping that the future will bring 'maybe at last/ A free land'.

The possibility of one day achieving peace and freedom through violent resistance is explored in 'Last night the rain' by Sevar Mohammed Najat, a poem which highlights the exile's continuing preoccupation with his homeland. In the poem, the speaker addresses the rain, who tells him of the death and sadness that he has witnessed. He reveals that if the 'peshmergas' could see the land that they had struggled for, 'they would think their death and pain were all in vain.' The poem ends with the statement that 'hypocrites live the longest lives/ and true men lay waiting in their cold graves' in which the simplicity of the rhyming couplets used throughout the poem is briefly broken, serving as an uncomfortable reminder of lost potential and of the difficulty in achieving peace.

In 'Instructions', Huriye Gunes promotes forgiveness by issuing the reader with a series of orders that contravene the notion of the honour killing. The speaker anticipates his own death by begging for his killer not to be harmed because 'he is the one who has been cheated/ told what to do, say and think', requiring the audience to treat the murderer not with hate, but with pity.

From the deceptive simplicity of Huriye Gunes' 'My Sister', to the political embroil of Awat Namiq Agha's 'Prepare for darkness', the anthology captures a sense of exile in all its manifestations. Throughout, the creative expression of refugees and of exiled writers is used to encourage cross-cultural dialogue and the result is an anthology which combines social and historical relevance with literary merit.

The Institute of Race Relations is precluded from expressing a corporate view: any opinions expressed are therefore those of the authors.

'Across the Divide'

It is available from EWI at a cost of £3

'Across the Divide' is an innovative anthology of prose and poetry created
in EWI's Across the Divide creative discussion and writing sessions for
Jews, Muslims, Israelis, Palestinians and Arabs generally.

Chap books produced in the Mentoring and Translation Programme Year 2
Cost: £3 plus £1 postage

Chap books produced in the Mentoring and Translation Programme Year 1
Cost: £3 plus £1 postage

PUBLICATIONS BY EXILED WRITERS ASSOCIATED WITH EXILED WRITERS INK:
Acharya, Shanta: Shingara. Nottingham: Shoestring Press, 2006.

Acharya, Shanta: Looking In, Looking Out. West Kirby,Wirral: Headland Publications, 2005.

Acharya Shanta: Numbering Our Days’ Illusions. Rockingham Press, 1995.

Acharya Shanta: Not This, Not That. India: Rupa & Co, 1994.

Adil, Alev: Venus Infers. London: NE Publications, 2004.

Addonia, Sulaiman: The Consequences of Love, Chatto and Windus, 2008

Aharoni, Ada: Women creating A World Beyond War and Violence. A. Aharoni, 2002.

Aharoni, Ada: The peace Flower: A Space Adventure. Lachman, Haifa: A. Aharoni, 1996.

Al-Mana, Samira: The Umbilical Cord. Trans Charles N Lewis. Huddersfield, West Yorkshire: Central Publishing Services, 2005.

Al-Mana, Samira: Look at Me… Look at Me, Only ( Shufuni…Shufuni: Arabic) Beirut: Arab Diffusion Company, 2002.

Al-Mana, Samira: The Soul and Others (Al-Rooh wa Ghayruha: Arabic). Beirut: Arab Diffusion Company, 2002.

Al-Mana, Samira: The Oppressors ( Alqamiune: Arabic) Damascus: Almada Publishing Company, 1997.

Al-Mana, Samira: Only a Half (Play) (Al-Nisf faqat: Arabic). Trans Farida Abu- Haidar. London: Panorama Print Ltd, 1984.

Al-Radi, Nuha: Baghdad Diaries. London: Saqi Books, 1998.

Alemayehu, Tsehay: Zeraf! and A Collection of Other Short Stories. London: Teret Teret Books, 2006.

Alvi, Moniza: Carrying My Wife. Newcastle Upon Tyne: Bloodaxe Books, 2000.

Angiers, Carole (eds): The Story of my Life. Refugees Writing in Oxford. Oxford: The Charlbury Press, 2005.

Ayesha, Tarzi: Red Death. Islamic Texts Society, 1985. (out of print)

Badihian, Mahnaz (Oba): From Zayandeh rud to the Mississipi. Bloomington: Authorhouse, 2005.

Balluta, Omar Musa: A Fiery Sunset. US Owings Mills:Watermark Press, 2006.

Barnes, Virginia Lee, Janice Boddy (collected by): Aman (told by) London: Bloomsbury, 1995.

Begikhani, Nazand: Yesterday's Tomorrow: A Collection of Poetry. Association des Artistes Kurdes, Paris, 1995.

Begikhani, Nazand: Bells of Speech. London: Ambit Books, 2007.

Besford, Sonja: Memories of Summers in Bristol near Gradac and Other Poems. London: Ambit Books, 2006.

Besford, Sonja: Arrivals and Departures. London: ASWA The Association of Serbian Writers Abroad, 2001.

Cassir, Michel (Collection dirigée par): De l’obscure étincelle. Nouvelle poésie d’expression française. Levée d’ancre. Paris: L’Harmattan, 2004.

Chahd, Fatah: Female. Dar Al-Rafid, London:1996 (Arabic)

Chahd, Fatah: The Martyr and Other Stories. Dar Al-Hikma, London: 1998 (Arabic)

Coelho, Maria Luisa, Lourenco Fernandes, Ana Raquel, Hatagima, Tula, Morley, Jonathan, Marques dos Santos, Ana Teresa, Brizio, eds and translators: Poems from Mozambique, Heaventree Press, 2007

Danyi, Zheng: Wings of Summer. Selected Poems (1984-1997). Trans Luo Hui (Chinese). Hong Kong - London - Toronto: Sixth Finger Press, 2003.

Darakhshani, Ruhi: The Story of Genies and the Fairies in our House. London: Athena Press, 2007. (for children)

Darwish, Mahmoud: The Butterfly’s Burden, Bloodaxe, Northumberland, 2008

Dedaj, Rahman: Zoti Thotë Ndryshe Adam. Prishtinë: Faik Konica, 2006.

De Moulin Ma mapassa, Lola: Lettre à mon journal intime. Bastogne: Edition Majelou, 2006.

De Moulin Ma mapasa, Lola: La tête de ma rivale. Louvain - la - Neuve: Panubula Actuel, 2000.

Durmush, Fatma: I sit in the Light. London: Chipmunkapublishing, 2007.

Durmush, Fatma: Nothing Sacred. London: Chipmunkapublishing, 2007.

Durmush, Fatma: An Anatolian Tale. London: Chipmunkapublishing, 2007.

Durmush, Fatma: Hot Flowers. London: Chipmunkapublishing E Book, 2007.

Durmush, Fatma: Clocks Forward. London: Survivors, 2007.

El Hage, Jad: The Myrtle Tree. London: Banipal Books, 2007.

Eliot, Janna, Spokes: Stories from the Romani World, Five Leaves, 2008

Esfahani, Jaleh: Migrating Birds: A Selection of Poems. Trans Rouhi Shafi (Persian). London: Shiraz Press, 2006.

Farhi, Moris: Young Turk. London: Saqi Books, 2005.

Farhi, Moris: Children of the Rainbow. London: Saqi Books, 1999.

Florián, Moisés Castillo: Reflecting on Reflections and Other Poems. Reflejos y Reflexiones y otros poemas. Dual- Language Edition. London: Anaconda Editions Ltd, 2005.

Gallaire, Fatima: Au loin, les caroubiers, suivi de Rimm, la gazelle. Éditions des Quatre-Vents, 1993.

Gallaire, Fatima: Princesses. Éditions des Quatre-Vents, Paris,1988.

Ghodstinat, Soheila: A Journey to Starland. UK: Pegasus Publisher, 2005.

Ghoussoub, Mai: Leaving Beirut: Women and the Wars Within. London: Saqi Books, 1998.

Graham-Yooll: Twenty Poets from Argentina. D. Samoilovich and A. Graham-Yooll (eds). Red Beck Press, 2004.

Guémar, Soleïman Adel: State of Emergency. Arc Publications, Oldham, 2007.

Günçe, Ergin: A Flower Much as Turkey. Trans Gülay Yurdal- Michaels, Richard McKane. Broy, 1995.

Guzel, Asiye: Asiye’s Story. Trans Richard Kane. London: Saqi, 2003.

Haile, Reesom: We Have our Voice. Trans Charles Cantalupo. New Jersey - Asmara: The Red Sea Press, Inc., 2000.

Hamid, Mohsin: The Reluctant Fundamentalist. London: Hamish Hamilton Ltd, 2007.

Handal, Nathalie: The Neverfield. Northampton, MA: Interlink Books, 2005.

Handal, Nathalie: The Lives of Rain. Northampton, MA: Interlink Books, 2005.

Hanne, Michael: Creativity in Exile. Amsterdam-NY: Rodopi, 2004.

Hardi, Choman: Life for Us. Northumberland: Bloodaxe Books, 2004.

Hardi, Choman: Light, Mirrors and Shadows. Choman Hardi, 2000.

Hasan-Zadeh, Negar: On Wings Over the Horizon. Trans Richard McKane. Anglo-Caspian Publishing Ltd, 2002.

Hikmet, Nâzim: Beyond the Walls. Trans Ruth Christie, Richard McKane, Talât Sait Halman. London: Anvil Press Poetry, 2004.

Hill, Mark: The Last Scene, markhill.book@yahoo.com, 2008 (memoir by Iranian exile)

Hove, Chenjerai: Blind Moon. Harare: Weaver Press, 2004.

Hove, Chenjerai: Ancestors. UK: Picador, 1997.

Hove, Chenjerai: Bones. South Africa: Heineman, 1990.

Jamal, Mahmood: Sugar - Coated Pill: Selected Poems. Edingburgh: Word Power Books, 2006.

Jancic, Miroslav: Singing Through the Town. London: Hearing Eye, 2001.

Jancic, Miroslav: The Flying Bosnian. London: Hearing Eye, 1996.

Kadar, Maged: From Baghdad to Bedlam, Saqi Books, 2007

Khalvati, Mimi: Selected Poems. Manchester: Carcanet, 2000.

Khan, Rabina, Ed:Silent Voices: An Anthology of Writings by Contemporary British Somalis, Monsoon Press, London, 2007

Kaplan, Tony (poems selected by): Moon Tower. London: BookChase, 2003.

Khoi, Esmail: Beyond the Horizon, translated from Persian by Lotfali Khonji, Esmail Khoi Foundation, 2008

Khoi, Esmail: Voice of Exile. Atlanta: Omega Printing, 2002.

Khoi Esmail, Outlandia, Songs of Exile. Trans Ahmad Karimi-Hakkak (Persian). Nik Publishers, Vancouver, 1999.

Khoi, Esmail: Songs of Nowhereland. Trans Bahram Barahmi (Persian). Toronto: Afra Publishing Co., 1995.

Khoi, Esmail: Edges of Poetry. Trans Ahmad Karimi-Hakkak (Persian). Santa Monica, CA: Blue Logos Press, 1995.

Kianush, Mahmud (eds): Modern Persian Poetry. Trans Mahmud Kianush. Herts: The Rockingham Press, 1996.

Krystanovich, Milorad: The Yasen Tree and Other Poems, Heaventree Press, Coventry, 2007

Lian, Yang: Riding Pisces: Poems from Five Collections, Shearsman Books, 2008

Lian, Yang: Concentric Circles. Trans Brian Holton, Agnes Hung- Chong Chan. Northumberland: Bloodaxe Books, 2005.

Lamri, Tahar: I Sessaanta nomi dell’ amore. Napoli: Editato da Silvia De Marchi, 2007.

Lawson, Peter: Passionate Renewal. London: Five Leaves, 2001.

Linden, Sonja and Jenny Grut: The Healing Fields: Working with Nature to Re-built Shattered Lives. London: Frances Lincoln, 2003.

Majdian, Mahdad: Mahomma. Iran: Madavi Publications, 2000.

Makdisi, Jean Said: Teta, Mother and Me: An Arab Woman’s Memoir. London: Saqi Books, 2005.

Mansouri, Pari: Entertainment in Exile. London: Persian Poetry Society, 1997.

Maroufi, Abbas: Symphony of the Dead, translated from Persian by Lotfali Khonji, Aflame Books, 2007

Maroufi, Abbas: Symphony of the Dead. Trans Lotfali Khonji. Laverstock Wiltshire: Aflame Books, 2007.

Mayenin, Munayem: Dehumanisation of Humanity. LuLu Enterprises, UK Ltd, 2007.

Mayenin, Munayem: The Geography of Time. PublishAmerica, 2005.

Mayenin, Munayem: The Son of Eternity. PublishAmerica, 2004.

McKane, Richard: Poet for Poet. London: Hearing Eye, 2001.

Mella, Jawad: Kurdistan and the Kurds. London: Western Kurdistan Association Publications, 2005.

Mirawdeli, Kamal: Passage to Dawn. London: Kamal Mirawdeli, 2002.

Mirreh, Abdirahman: A Gob Tree. Beside the Hargeisa Wadi. Book Two of Songs of a Nomad Son. Tunley, Nr Cirencester: Tuba Press, 1995.

Mirshahi, Massoud (eds): The Hidden Face of Afghan Women. Vincennes- France: Khavaran, 2000.

Muharremi, Brikena: Pallati I Zemres. Albania: Forumi I Krijuesve te Artit, Prishtina, 1996.

Nagra, Daljit: Look, We Have Coming to Dover. London, Faber and Faber, 2007.

Nkashama, Pius Ngandu: Yakouta. Paris: Collection Encres Noires L’Harmattan, 1995.

Ogbuagu, Nkwachukwu: Bosheth Williams. Leicestershire: Upfront Publishing Ltd, 2003.

Reyes-Manzo, Carlos: Oranges in Times of Moon, translated Valeria Baker, Andes Press Agency, London, 2006

El Saadawi, Nawal: God Dies by the Nile. Trans Sherif Hetata. London New York: Zed Books, 2007.

El Saadawi, Nawal: Woman at Point Zero. Trans Sherif Hetata. London New York: Zed Books, 2007.

El Saadawi, Nawal: The Hidden Face of Eve. Trans Sherif Hetata. London New York: Zed Books, 2007.

El Saadawi, Nawal: Walking Through Fire: A life of Nawal El Saadawi. Trans Sherif Hetata. London New York: Zed Books, 2002.

El Saadawi, Nawal: A Daughter of Isis: The autobiography of Nawal El Saadawi. Trans Sherif Hetata. London New York: Zed Books, 1999.

El Saadawi, Nawal: The Nawal El Saadawi Reader. London New York: Zed Books, 1997.

Sahan, Dürsaliye: Fakir Cennet. Istanbul, Kasim: Creative Yayincilik, 2007.

Samokovlija, Isak: Tales of Old Sarajevo. Trans Celia Hawkesworth and Christina Pribicevic- Zoric. London - Portland - Oregon: Valentine Mitchell, 1997.

Saudi, Fathieh: The Prophets: A poetic Journey from Childhood to Prophecy. UK: Tlön Books, 2007.

Setton, Ruth Knafo: The Road to Fez. Washington DC: Counterpoint, 2001.

Shafii, Rouhi: Pomegranate Hearts. London: Shiraz Press, 2006.

Shafii, Rouhi: Scent of Saffron. London: Scarlet Press, 1997.

Shahrnush, Parsipur: Touba and the Meaning of Night. Trans Kamran Talattof and Havva Houshmand. City University of New York: Feminist Press, 2006.

Sharma, Yuyutsu R.D: The Lake Fewa and a Horse. Delhi: Nirala Publications, 2005.

Shiblak, Abbas: Iraqi Jews: A History of Mass Exodus. London, Saqi 2005.

Shukri, Ishtiyaq: The Silent Minaret. Johannesburg: Jacana Media, 2005.

Simic, Elvira: The Cry of Bosnia. London: Genie Quest Publishing, 1997.

Sofer, Dalia: The Septembers of Shiraz. London: Picador, 2007.

Teitler, Nathalie (eds): Speaking in Other Tongues. London: Zero’s publishers, 2000.

Ugresic, Dubravka: Nobody’s Home. Trans Elen Elias-Bursac. London: Telegram Books, 2007.

Ugresic, Dubravka: The Ministry of Pain. Trans Michael Heim. London: Saqi Books, 2005.

Vajdi, Shadab: Closed Circuit. Trans (Persian) Lotfali Khonji. London: Forest Books, 1990.

Vincencio, Jose Ponce: Vano Apocalipsis. Santiago de Chile: Pentagrama Editores, 2002.

Weiner, Shelley: Arnost. London: Starhaven, 2001.

Wolffe, Bart: Worm Head. Maryland: PublishAmerica, 2006.

Wolffe, Bart: The Stones of Somewhere, Lulu, London, 2007

Youssef, Saadi: Without an Alphabet, Without a Face. Trans by Khaled Mattawa. Saint Paul, Minnesota: Graywolf Press, 2003.

Yoyo: Ghost Tide. Trans Ben Carrdus. London: Fourth Estate, 2005.

Zangana, Gauhari Farooka: Searching for Saleem: An Afghan Woman's Odyssey. Lincoln, NE: University of Nebraska Press, 1996.

Zangana, Haifa: City of Widows: An Iraqi Woman’s account of war and Resistance. New York: Seven Stories Press, 2007.

ANTHOLOGIES

Andrzejewsky, B.W., Sheila Andrzejewsky (trans). An Anthology of Somali Poetry. Bloomington Indianapolis: Indiana University Press, 1993.

Basmenji, Kaveh (eds). Afshaneh: Short Stories by Iranian Women. London, Saqi Books, 2005.

Charles, Eric Ngalle, Tom Cheesman, Sylvie Hoffman (eds): Soft Touch: Refugees Writing in Wales - 3. Swansea: Hafan Books, 2005.

Charles, Eric Ngalle, Tom Cheesman, Sylvie Hoffman (eds): Nobody’s Perfect: Refugees Writing in Wales - 2. Swansea: Hafan Books, 2004.

Charles, Eric Ngalle, Tom Cheesman, Syvie Hoffman (eds): Between a Mountain and a Sea: Refugees Writing in Wales. Swansea: Hafan Books, 2003.

Cheesman, Tom, Grahame Davies, Sylvie Hoffman (eds): Gwyl y Blaidd. Ysgreifennu Ffoaduriaid yng Nghymru / The Festival of the Wolf.: Writing Refugees in Wales - 4. Swansea: Hafan Books / Cardigan: Parthian Books, 2006.

Coelho, Maria Luisa, Lourenco Fernandes, Ana Raquel, Hatagima, Tula, Morley, Jonathan, Marques dos Santos, Ana Teresa, Brizio, eds and translators: Poems from Mozambique, Heaventree Press, 2007

Glanville, Jo (ed): Qissat: Short Stories by Palestinian Women. London: Telegram, 2006.

Hardi, Choman (ed): The Fleeing Garden. Kurdish Exiled Voices. London: Exiled Writers Ink, 2005.

Khan, Rabina, Ed: Silent Voices: An Anthology of Writings by Contemporary British Somalis, Monsoon Press, London, 2007

Muponde, Robert and Ranka Primorac: Versions of Zimbabwe: New Approaches to Literature and Culture. Harare: Weaver Press Ltd, 2005.

Langer, Jennifer: If Salt Has Memory, Jewish Exiled Writers, Five Leaves, 2008

Langer, Jennifer (ed): The Silver Throat of the Moon: Writing in Exile. London: Five Leaves, 2005.

Langer, Jennifer (ed): Crossing The Border: Voices of Refugee and Exiled Women. London: Five Leaves, 2002.

Rafîq Sabir, Kamal Mirawdeli & Stephen Watts: Modern Kurdish Poetry An Anthology & Introduction. Endangered Languages and Cultures (ELC) 2. Uppsala Sweden: Uppsala, 2006.

San Martin, Pablo and Bollig, Ben: Thirty One, a bilingual anthology of Saharawi resistance poetry in Spanish, Sandblast, 2007

Seymour-Jones, Carole and Lucy Popescu (eds): Another Sky, Voices of Conscience from Around the World. Profile Books and English PEN: London, 2007.

Talebi, Niloufar: Belonging, New Poetry by Iranian Around the World, North Atlantic Books, 2008

Anthology of Contemporary Kurdish Poetry. London: Kurdistan Solidarity Committee and Yashar Ismail, 1994.

FWords. An original signature project. Leeds: Inscribe, 2007.

From There to Here… Voices of Recent Arrivals to these Shores. Medical Foundation for the care of victims of torture. GB: 2005.

Welcome to Britain. Voices from the front line of the Refugee Crisis. GB 2004.

Write Identities. Exploring identities and diversity for young writers in multi-ethnic Switzerland. British Council, 2004.

MUSIC

Awakening Love. Mystical poetry of Rumi and Hafez in Dari/ Farsi and English by Karim Haidari and Evlynn Sharp. With music from Melanie Reinhart. Soul2soulsistahs press, 2006.

The work of Exiled Writers Ink! was featured in the New Internationalist edition of October 2002 and in addition, two short stories by two exiled writers involved with Exiled Writers Ink! appeared.
These were: The Journey by Karim Haidari from Afghanistan and You are Not You by Zuahir Al Jezairi from Iraq. You can see it here.

Some Tips for Poetry Publication

1.       When trying to publish individual poems, send 4 – 6 poems with a SAE to a journal. Mention something about your background if it seems relevant; avoid explaining the poems as this may seem patronising.

b)      Expect to be rejected. Be very pleased if a poem is accepted.

c)       Expect to wait several months for a reply. If an editor writes a comment or makes any personal form of communication with you then it might be worth considering the rejection as an invitation to send more poems.

2.       The more esteemed journals include: LRB, TLS, Poetry Review, Poetry London, The North, The Rialto, Stand, Poetry Wales. Other good journals include: Magma, Smiths Knoll, Wasafiri, Soundings.

3.       Read the poetry magazines for several reasons, but also to determine which magazines might be sympathetic to your work.

4.       Enter poetry competitions. These are a bit of a lottery so be persistent. Look at some competition winners and see if there is any pattern about the sort of poem that wins competitions. Competitions where the first prize is £1000 or more are more likely to have a good reputation. Join the Poetry Library (South Bank, London) mailing list; they will email you a monthly update of the latest competitions and other invaluable poetry news.

5.       With regards to book publication, send either a sample of work (10 -15 poems) or a complete manuscript. Send a SAE and a covering letter with your achievements in poetry, your background etc. Or whatever you regard as relevant. You could write to the publisher first to see if they are taking new manuscripts so you do not end up wasting your time.

6.       The ‘big’ publishers are interested in publishing poetry which is about non-white-English society. There is no harm in trying Faber and Faber, Jonathan Cape, Bloodaxe, Carcanet etc.

a.       As far as I’m aware Picador do not take unsolicited manuscripts but their editor relies on word of mouth and personal judgment based on what is good poetry that has been published in magazines and pamphlets.

b.      Faber tend to do a first print run of 2000 or more, Jonathan Cape tend to do 1000 (as Robin Robertson stated in Poetry Society’s Newsletter last year). Most publishers will do a much smaller print run. This should give you an idea of how much exposure a collection might get, so be patient, bide your time and hold out for a bigger publisher.

c.       I had to wait about a year before Faber and Faber initially rejected my manuscript. When I re-sent an improved manuscript, I had to wait at least another half year.

7.       Try publishing a poetry pamphlet prior to publishing a full collection. The exposure can help you for when it comes to a full collection. Try the Smith/Doorstop Pamphlet competition, and there are many other excellent pamphlet publishers such as Templar, Tall Lighthouse etc.