Oxfordfolio are sending ‘Poems in an Exhibition’ to the printers today. Hatred of the ‘other’ has been rearing its ugly head everywhere. ‘Poems in an Exhibition’ has accidentally become a celebration of diversity. The backgrounds of the poets and artists who have contributed to this anthology are wondrously diverse. The youngest is 18 and the oldest 93. They were born in 4 continents, represent most religions and have every shade of skin of colour. But there is unity in our diversity. We sing under the same book cover! Our poems are inspired by a visual image and most of the poets ( &2 artists)ended up in Oxford or regularly come here. We have come together in support of Standing Voice. I encountered this young human rights charity when my village raised the funds for a skin care clinic for people with albinism in Tanzania who dying of skin cancer before the age of 35 ( Easily preventable! ) My journey to this anthology was inspired by the documentary Standing Voice made for BBC titled ‘Born too White’ and I wrote a poem with that title inspired by a special young man. The book will be launched on November 30 in the Old Library in the University Church of St Mary the Virgin. It was the university library before the Bodleian.
Many of the poets are awarding winning. I am honoured to have poems side by side with theirs.
SYLVIA VETTA Tate St Ives…………………………………………
JENNY LEWIS The Rosewater Basin………………………….
SIMON ALTMANN Hands……………………………………….
SHAKIRA MORAR The Cracked Jug………………………..
SUDEEP SEN Jacket on a Chair………………………………….
DAVID OLSEN Migrant Mother………………………………..
HEATHER ROSSER The Bronze Chalice……………………
DWINA GIBB My Songbird Has Flown……………………..
SIMON ALTMANN Potsdamer Platz ……………………….
SYLVIA VETTA The Mists of Dao ……………………………..
ARABELLA CURRIE First Light………………………………..
PENNY BOXALL The Wheelwrights…………………………
EUTON DALEY In Emergency – Break Glass…………….
ADNAN AL-SAYEGH Extract from Uruk’s Anthem….
And finally …. Born Too White