Sometimes although we hear the news and ‘know’ whats happening, we don’t really connect with the issue – its happening too far away, it doesn’t concern us, there is too much bad news….Sometimes we need to connect emotionally to really understand whats behind the headlines.There are many books written by those seeking sanctuary, artworks which connect at an emotional level, local journalist accounts and films to watch. Here are just a few ideas:

Films: This year for Refugee Week Counterpoint Arts have compiled a list of films to watch for the week, linked to this years theme of ‘healing’. Whilst most of the films are designed for discounted public showings, some are available on line. See https://movingworlds.info

For children the ‘Refugee Week’ website has short films available at : https://refugeeweek.org.uk/get-involved/education-resources/educational-videos/

Books: For book titles and some book reviews, see our 2021 and 2000 Refugee Week posts. In addition Waterstones compiled a list last year which is available here: https://www.waterstones.com/campaign/refugee-week. In Chester this year, both Waterstones and Amblongus Books have displays for the week as do selected libraries across the borough.

Poetry: new for this year we have compiled a short list of poets that have been forced to seek sanctuary

•  Warsan Shire : possibly best known for her words ‘ No-one puts their child in a boat unless the water is safer than the land’ is a British Somali poet whose parents were refugees
• Emtithal Mahmoud :is a Sudanese-American poet and also a Goodwill ambassador for the UNHCR
• Behrouz Boochani : best known for his book written in detention on Manus Island, ‘No Friend but the Mountains’, Behrouz is also a journalist, film maker and poe
• JJ Bolla: left the Democratic Republic of Congo for Britain and is a poet and author
• Shrub Sirat: a poet originally from Afghanistan and also a writer and journalist

Art:

• Shamsia Hassani: Afghanistan’s first female street artist,  portraying woman in Afghanistan society
• ‘Painted with coffee and toothbrushes: Kurdish refugees enter Archibald prize’ – Guardian website 31/3/22
• ‘The artists of Ukraine find their voice in a Cry of resistance’ – Guardian 23/4/22, Financial Times 28/3/22
• Mohammad Barrangi: originally from Iran, Mohammad’s work centres on his experiences of Iran, immigration and disability.