Sunday 3 December, 4 – 6:30pm
Institute of Contemporary Arts
The Mall, London
Free, booking required.

Poetry, readings, screenings and listening sessions with a closing performance by Elaine Mitchener

Inspired by poet Sarona Abuaker’s experiment in relationalities, this gathering is a collective effort by independent and small publishers Silver Press, Ignota, the87press, STUART, Verso, Peninsula Press, Tilted Axis Press, Divided, Prototype, Book Works and Pluto Press. Bringing together readings, screenings and listening sessions, this gathering holds space for grieving and imagining in solidarity with Palestine and liberation struggles around the world. To borrow from artist Tai Shani: ‘Solidarity is beautiful in deep, meaningful ways that can banish the flat darkness of nihilism. Solidarity is the boundless mess of the imagination put into action – sometimes it can feel frictionless and safe, but sometimes it also demands risk. Though the beauty of solidarity is that a group can come together and find safety and strength collectively, to effectively hold power to account.’

Featuring: Oscar Guardiola-Rivera, Aurelia Guo, Emily LaBarge, So Mayer, Yamen Mekdad, Lucy Mercer, Elaine Mitchener, Zarina Muhammad, Rose Nordin, M. NourbeSe Philip, Nisha Ramayya, Anahí Saravia Herrera, Rosalie Schweiker, Azad Ashim Sharma, Sarah Shin, Olivia Sudjic, Isabel Waidner, Steve Willey. Elaine Mitchener’s closing performance improvises on poems and texts by Jay Bernard, Thuyên Nãh; Dicteé by Theresa Hak Kyung Cha and There it is by Jayne Cortez.

“we shape ourselves with the force of each other” is a title from Abuaker’s poem Suture Fragmentations – a note on return. In it, the poet reflects on the inherent queerness of ‘being out of place in (diaspora),’ taking queerness to mean ‘the process and acts of re-orienting.’

Prior to this session there will be a screening and panel discussion – full details here.