Description
“This is a book shaped by the bonds of kinship—the joy of authentic connection and the grief of sustained loss. By giving voice to memory and tradition, and by mourning and celebrating those who have gone before, these works explore ideas of belonging across time, even when they are speaking from places of pain and discrimination. In their rich and varied forms, they reveal what it is like to be ‘misplaced bodies in a misplaced city’ and yet to refuse to be silenced. It is impossible not to be carried to new worlds by this book, and to be transformed by the energies of its language.”
Lucy Collins, Associate Professor, University College Dublin
“KIN is a trail-blazing, diverse anthology of poetry and prose writings and artworks by roughly fifty women writers and artists from Romani, Traveller and Nomadic Communities with a most helpful editorial note by Raine Geoghegan and an enlightening introduction by Dr Rosaleen McDonagh. The editors have done an invaluable job gathering the material for this book from contributors dispersed from places as far apart as Europe, Canada, New Zealand, the UK, the US and Europe—testimony to the transnational character of this ‘non-territorial cultural nation’. Many of them are prize-winning poets, novelists and short story writers, academics, teachers, community workers and activists, taking to the page with confidence and stated pride in their Romani or Traveller origin, producing works of dazzling literary and artistic standard, challenging stereotypical narratives that have been imposed on them.”
Eva Bourke, Poet and member of Aos Dána
Editor: RAINE GEOGHEGAN is a Welsh-born poet, prose writer and playwright of Romany, Welsh and Irish ethnicity. She is a Forward Prize, twice Pushcart Prize, and Best of the Net nominee. Her work has been published online and in print with Poetry Ireland Review; Travellers’ Times; and many more. The Talking Stick: O Pookering Kosh was published in June 2022 by Salmon Poetry. She has read at festivals around the world.
Co-editor: FIÓNA BOLGER is a poet, mentor and creative facilitator. Her most recent collection, Love in the Original Language was published by Salmon Poetry in 2022. Her facilitation and creative practice are polyvocal and plurilingual. Her practice is rooted in a trauma informed, anti-racist pedagogy.