Edited by Adrienne Jansen, with Clare Arnot, Danushka Devinda and Wesley Hollis
Landing Press, 2019 RRP: $22.00
Families, language, fear, loss, food and the victories that can come slowly. These are at the heart of this collection of poems by 46 people who have come to New Zealand as migrants or refugees.
More of Us provides a glimpse into the experiences of this diverse group of people, which includes those who made New Zealand their home decades ago, and newcomers still finding their feet. Some are well-established poets, and some are high school ESOL students. And here they all are, speaking in their own distinctive voices.
‘The Chinese saying ‘Where my heart is at ease, this is home …’ comes to mind as More of Us articulates the joy and pain associated with memories of lives lived in other worlds, and the complexities of integrating into life here. From Syria to Scotland to Samoa, from civil war to aunties weeping as they gently weave mats for parting family, this remarkable collection has imprinted itself into my memory and my heart.‘ Lynda Chanwai-Earle
More of Us is a companion book to All of Us, a collection of poems by Adrienne Jansen and Carina Gallegos, published by Landing Press in 2018.
One of The Spinoff’s best poetry collections for 2019.
$22 (plus postage). Available from Landing Press or from Nationwide Books.
Landing Press is a small cooperative press based in Wellington. It focusses mainly, but not entirely, on poetry.