For Refugee Week 2006, Refugees and the Arts Initiative ran a project highlighting the work of poets of refugee backgrounds.
Refugees and the Arts Initiative culminated on a number of poetry workshops, run in collaboration with Exiled Writers Ink, by selecting the work of 15 poets of refugee backgrounds and reproducing their work onto postcards.
Using funding from Newham Council and the Refugee Week Community Chest, Refugees and the Arts Initiative produced 10,000 postcards and distributed them to libraries, community and refugee centres and schools. As a method of reaching new audiences the postcards were also handed to members of the public in the street
The 15 poets performed as part of Newham Refugee Week Festival and also shared their work at the Stratford Picture House bar.
The poets involved in the postcard poetry were Soheila Ghodstinat, Anthonio Oscar Zissou, Jean-Louis N’Tadi, Valbona Voca Bashota, Sifundo Msebele, Nora Armani, Vida Kashizadeh, Sofia Buchuck, Ayar Ata, Chinwe Azubuike, Behnam Askani Behbahani, Huryie Gunes, Mohammad Bashar Al-hneidi, Moniza Alvi and Nela Milic.
Click on a title to see images of the poetry postcards:
Arrival
Insomnia
Kenwood in Taurus
Mother Africa
My Suitcase
Passion
Phantoms
Silent Friend
The Purple Sky
Time and Time Again
Tounge of my Land
Travelling Cinema
Two Suitcases
