These days, there are compelling refugee tales told every day. The UK project, Refugee Tales by David Herd, Comma Press, and the Gatwick Detainees Welfare Group, is in the midst of an activist project called “28 Tales for 28 Days.” Each day during a 28 day period #28of28 releases a video of a refugee story read aloud by a prominent English actor. The stories, which are also available in print in one of two Refugee Tales volumes, have originated through collaborations between those who have experienced immigration detention in the UK and established British writers. These are masterfully composed and performed stories about subjects that demand a public hearing. In fact, the project emerged in part because of the deliberate lack of record in the British refugee assessment processes. Overall, the project demands public accountability, and an end to indefinite detention in the UK through the a 28 day limit. This is a project with unfortunate ties to Canada, which like the US and the UK, has no fixed limits to immigration detention stays, makes use of prisons for immigration detention, and houses children in immigration detention. See – https://www.globaldetentionproject.org/countries/americas/canada
Today’s story, “The Dependent’s Tale as told to Marina Lewycka, read by Julie Hesmondhalgh” describes the experience of a child who was subject with her family to multiple detentions, deportations, and finally, permanent residency in Wales.
I will be featuring a story from the project at an upcoming talk about Reading the Migration Library. If you are in Kingston, ON next week, please consider joining me and the group, Sala-Manca (Lea Mauas and Diego Rotman of Argentina and Israel) for these events about migration, refugees, shelter, asylum, books, art and more.
- September 26, 7:00-9:00 pm “Books and Libraries in Migration” – an artist talk about the projects, Reading the Migration Library and Renegade Library, during Sala-Manca’s series Temporary Dwelling, Fragile Structures: Sukkot 2018 Canada.
- September 29, 1:00-4:00 pm, “A Library of Temporary Shelters – A book arts workshop about migration and displacement” with Lois Klassen and Sala-Manca at The Agnes Etherington Art Center.
These are only two of the events planned by Sala-Manca during their ad hoc Sukkot programs. Learn about the rest here – Sala-Manca Temporary Dwelling
