Rainbows on Rugged Terrains: Poetics of Queer Iranians in Exile
NilofarShidmehr
あらすじ
This book is featuring poetry from queer Iranians in exile in Turkey, the UK, and Canada. These poems are the outcomes of group workshops, whether in person or remotely created as part of the research project “Negotiating Queer Identities Following Forced Migration” (NQIfFM). They vividly portray the participants’ experiences of persecution and discrimination based on their sexual orientation, gender identity or sex characteristics, both in Iran, which they were forced to leave, and in the countries of transition or resettlement. This bilingual collection presents poems side by side with their translations. The pieces in this collection offer a diverse array of experiences reflecting the journeys of queer Iranians from Iran to their current places of residence, whether temporary or permanent. These experiences encompass themes of rejection, deprivation, isolation, fear, forced migration, uprootedness, displacement, suspension, non-belonging, loss, despair, and yearning for inclusion, home, love and security. The means of expression employed include poetic imagery, metaphor, simile, allegory, wordplay, and figurative language. About the Collection: These poems are the outcomes of group workshops I led, whether in person or remotely, as my scholarly contribution to the research project “Negotiating Queer Identities Following Forced Migration” (NQIfFM). You can find more information about the project on the website https://iranqueerefugee.net/. The support of the UK Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) is gratefully acknowledged (Grant Ref: ES/V017497/1). Credits: Cover image: Cover image by Amineh Ahmadinejad.