Right now, there are, according to the UNHCR, at least 25.9million refugees in the world—the most ever recorded. Every single one of these people has a past and present. Every single one of these people deserves a future. Every single one of these people has a story and some of these feature in a bold new anthology called 'Imagine' and the Salon is sharing some of them in a special episode of our podcast.
The 'Imagine Anthology' is a publishing collaboration between Counterpoints Arts and Visual Editions as part of Refugee Week, featuring poems, stories and essays from diverse voices. Authors including Edmund du Waal, Himesh Patel, Dina Nayeri and Rupi Kaurand have been asked to explore one thing they would most like to change about humanity's future, to consider "making the invisible visible". Themes address global issues such as open borders, hunger, power and shame, as well as reflecting on how our everyday lives - Taekwondo, beekeeping or a front door key - have the potential to be life-changing. Each piece is distinct but collectively they show how we are united in difference.
On June 20th, Damian Barr's Literary Salon will be launching this very special podcast as part of World Refugee Day, you can listen at www.theliterarysalon.co.uk/podcast. You can also read the full anthology at www.imagineanthology.com.
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