Forced Migration and The Arts, in collaboration with the indie publisher CivicLeicester and the migrant rights collective Regularise, are crowdfunding to publish the first volume in the Africa Migration Report series of poetry anthologies.
The effort comes after the first call for submissions, which closed on Africa Day, May 25, 2024 (‘Call for Submissions – Africa Migration Report: An Anthology of Poems‘, St Vincent Times, April 7, 2024), attracted a rich and exciting range of contributions from established and emerging poets around the world, and from many who do not consider themselves to be poets but who have things to say about personal and familial histories and experiences of African migration.
Project coordinator Ambrose Musiyiwa said: “We are delighted by the range and depth of responses we have received in response to our first call for poems and short prose on the theme of African migration. Our co-editors are now working hard to bring out, within the next two to three months, the first volume in The Africa Migration Report series of poetry anthologies.
“We are imagining The Africa Migration Report: An Anthology of Poems as more than just a collection of poems. We are imagining it as a multi-volume, multi-media and multi-year conversation that encourages a diverse range of voices to engage with the theme of African migration.
“Riffing off how our first call for submissions had Africa Day, May 25 as the deadline, our updated call for submissions, which is accessible here, is now open 365 days per year because every day is Africa Day, and because we would like to keep the conversation going.
“We welcome submissions from anyone based anywhere in the world, and especially encourage Africans on the continent and in the diaspora to share personal, familial, community, national and international histories and stories related to African migration, including the history and legacies of the abduction and enslavement of African people and their transportation and use as slaves in plantations and colonies around the world.
“In addition, The Africa Migration Report puts Africans on the continent and those in the diaspora in conversation with each other on the theme of African migration. Through the poet’s words, we get the human stories; we glimpse the journeys, dreams, challenges, and more faced by those who have voluntarily or involuntarily crossed or are crossing borders, and those seeking safety, opportunity, and belonging.
“We also encourage contributors to the series and others to engage with the African Union (AU)/International Organisation for Migration (IOM)’s report with the same name. In this way, the anthology is both a creative project and a way of participating in conversations that are taking place at national, supranational and international levels on African migration, and which often do not include, involve or consult affected people.
“We need support to cover costs associated with editorial work, production, distribution, contributor fees, and to extend the anthology’s reach. Currently, the project is not in receipt of funding from any source and is being powered by volunteer energy.”
Those wishing to support the initiative can do so by:
- Donating: People can do this by visiting our crowdfunding page at this link and contributing what they can. Every donation counts.
- Spreading the Word: People can spread the word about the initiative through platforms and networks they are part of. Whether through social media, newsletters, or events, spreading the word will amplify the appeal and encourage others to participate. People can retweet our tweet, or tweet their own. Using the hashtag #AfricaMigrationReport can also create a ripple effect.
- Supporting the Virtual Launch: Sign up for the series of readings and conversations we are putting together, and stay tuned for event updates.
About Forced Migration and The Arts: Forced Migration and The Arts is an international network that brings together people with lived experience of forced migration, refugee and non-refugee artists, academics, activists and art spaces from around the world. The network hosts monthly discussion panels around forced migration and the arts and encourages mutual support and collaboration. Learn more.
About CivicLeicester: CivicLeicester is an indie publisher that uses digital and print technologies to highlight issues of transnational significance. Books we have published include Welcome to Britain: an Anthology of Poetry and Short Fiction (2023); Poetry and Settled Status for All: An Anthology (2022), and Black Lives Matter: Poems for a New World (2020).
About Regularise: Regularise is a migrant rights collective founded in late 2019, prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, to address the years of sustained hardships that undocumented migrants experience in the UK, and continues to organise and campaign for justice and for the rights of undocumented migrants. Visit regularise.org to learn more.