Red Door 40

RED DOOR 40

SACRED & PROFANE

2025

featuring NIKOLAJ JACOBSEN

WWW.REDDOORMAGAZINE.COM

Editor in Chief:

Elizabeth Torres

(Madam Neverstop)

www.madamneverstop.com

-Poetry Editor: Pablo Saborío

-Correspondents:

-Melaine Knight

-Tanya Cosio

-Brandon Davis

-Mario Z.Puglisi

-Miller Almario

-Dominic Williams

-Laura Arena

-Adam Christopher Smith

-Rathin Bhattacharjee

Our partners:

Kultivera - Sweden

Write4Word - Wales

Cappelens Forslag - Norway

Patrick Horner - Canada / DK

Cover & featured art by

NIKOLAJ JACOBSEN

This magazine has been printed in

Tranås, Sweden - and is distributed in

Denmark and internationally through

Red Door & collaborators.

RED DOOR MAGAZINE #40

AUTUMN, 2025

Red Press, Copenhagen

ISBN: 978-87-94003-21-6

www.reddoormagazine.com

All rights reserved to the

corresponding authors.

Red Door #40 –

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Editorial:

In Memory of Morten Ranum

pg. 2-3

NoMuLAB: Building a Multilingual

Commons – Os Pressan & Red Door,

pg. 8-10

Breaking the Language Barrier:

The State of Multilingual Writing in

Denmark – Red Door, pg. 10-18

Reimagining Accessibility: An

Artist’s Journey – Laura Arena,

pg. 18-19

POETRY BY

Mezi, pg. 20

Kristin Camitta Zimet, pg. 21

Negma Coy, pg. 22-23

Brian Duran-Fuentes, pg. 24

Nathaniel Lachenmeyer, pg. 25

Douglas MacDonald, pg. 26

Featured Artist: Nikolaj Jacobsen,

pg. 28-31

From Stage to Page: Live from the

Launch of Kieran Saint Leonard’s

Dark Debut Novel – Adam

Christopher Smith, pg. 32-35

The Force of NATURE and the

Beauty of CULTURE

by Karlen Schwartz, pg. 36-39

The Poetic Phonotheque at

Cappelens Forslag, Oslo, pg. 40-43

New in the Poetry Archive,

POETIC PHONOTHEQUE pg. 44-52

Kolkata, the City of Joy – Rathin

Bhattacharjee, pg. 53-55

Red Door Magazine releases digital and printed issues

quarterly with an emphasis on visual art and poetry.

This includes multimedia art, artistic research, essays

on projects, reports on festivals and activism, as well

as relevant media articles and documentation of the

activities by you and your network.

The magazine always features a poetry selection, prose,

and occasional interviews by established and emerging

artists, plus relevant upcoming events. We’re here to give

you a handful of essential pieces you can digest in one sitting.

We’re currently seeking visual art, music, film reviews, travel

and media articles, poetry, fiction, and creative nonfiction.

Simultaneous submissions are always welcome, but

if you have a piece accepted elsewhere, please let us

know by adding a note to your submission; we’re not

aiming for exclusivity - but relevant, quality content.

Please send your questions to reddoorny@gmail.com

________________________________________

File specifications: Your article may be a maximum of

two pages, and we accept a maximum of 3 poems per

submission. All languages are welcome but please include

English translations. Also include a small biography of up

to 5 lines about you. All this must be included as .doc files

or PDF. All images must be attached as .jpeg images in a

resolution of 1080 x 1080 px or its equivalent in format

so it can be used for print and hi-res for web. Please note

we currently accept poetry submissions only via our

submittable platform:

https://redpress.submittable.com/submit

LEARN MORE AT:


GIVE YOUR SUPPORT:

WWW.PATREON.COM/REDDOOR

RED

#40-

43

#18-

19

Reimagining

Accessibility

By Laura Arena -

BERLIN

#08-10

NORDIC MULTIMEDIA

WRITING LAB:

A REPORT FROM

REYKJAVIK

THE POETIC

PHONOTHEQUE

ARRIVES TO

CAPPELENS FORSLAG,

OSLO!

#36-

39

NATURE & CULTURE

International Poetry Film

Festival’S 5TH YEAR

A 3 country adventure.

#53-55

KOLKATA,

THE CITY OF JOY

by Rathin Bhattacharjee

#28-31

#32-35

FROM STAGE TO PAGE:

Live from the launch of Kieran

Saint Leonard’s dark debut novel

by Adam Christopher Smith

THE INVISIBLE STAR:

NEW ART BOOK BY

NIKOLAJ JACOBSEN

RED PRESS.

DOOR

EDITORIAL

Dear worldthreaders,

We dedicate this issue to our friend, Danish

poet Morten Ranum, whose collaboration

across Red Door, Tremella Radio, Red Thread,

and our Poetry Takeover series enriched both

our magazine and broader literary community.

His presence is deeply missed, and his

commitment to “foreignness and friendship”,

and international artistic dialogue continues

to inspire the work presented in this issue.

This 40th edition of Red Door opens

with NoMuLAB: Building a Multilingual

Commons, documenting the creation of the

Multilingual Writing LAB project we’ve been

collaborating on with Os Pressan in Iceland,

and the ongoing effort to foster spaces for

writing across languages. Complementing

this, the research report by Red Door -

Breaking the Language Barrier: The State

of Multilingual Writing in Denmark surveys

contemporary practices, challenges, and

opportunities for multilingual authors,

offering insight into the dynamics of language,

accessibility, and community engagement.

Laura Arena’s essay, Reimagining

Accessibility: An Artist’s Journey, reflects

on the intersections of art, inclusion,

and mobility, demonstrating how artistic

practice negotiates personal and structural

constraints. Poetry contributions follow,

including works by Mezi, Kristin Camitta

Zimet, She, Brian, Nathaniel Lachenmeyer,

and Douglas MacDonald, highlighting

diverse voices and formal approaches within

contemporary poetry.

Our featured visual artist, Nikolaj Jacobsen,

presents a body of work that explores texture,

perception, and cultural memory, offering

readers a lens through which to engage with

visual storytelling. It is a local, independent

and unique perspective, which you can also

enjoy throughout December at our gallery,

Red Door.

Literary commentary continues with From

Stage to Page: Live from the Launch of

Kieran Saint Leonard’s Dark Debut Novel

by Adam Christopher Smith, one of our

new correspondents, alongside Karlen

Schwartz’s essay The Force of NATURE and

the Beauty of CULTURE, which interrogates

the interplay of environment, creativity, and

identity. Karlen has been on an intership

at Red Door thanks to Erasmus support,

and we’ve been lucky to count with her

energy and passion for cultural journalism

and community throughout the autumn.

The issue also includes coverage of the

Poetic Phonotheque’s arrival at Cappelens

Forslag, Oslo, the latest additions to the

poetry archive, and Rathin Bhattacharjee’s

travel essay, Kolkata, the City of Joy, reflecting

the magazine’s ongoing commitment

to international perspectives and the

poetics of place. As you see, our team

keeps growing and our commitment to

freedom of speech, independent cultural

journalism and the defense of our right to

a poetic existence remains as fervent as

16 years ago, when this magazine started.

Let us do less counting, and more

worldthreading, my friends. This one is for

all of you in the cosmos, and you holding

these pages, with NEVERSTOP desire.

La revolución es

cultural!

MORTEN RANUM

Intet er større end det mindste digt

Nothing is larger than the smallest

poem

only a seed of soil will move me

I am not dead.

From where do I get the energy that

makes me breath?

It is the sound of my belly

but is does not do anything

other than acting nature impulsive

movements

nature has ceased to reflect

all things fall apart

only one logic remains

a burning from the run

it is getting warmer

everything is in flames

we will disappear as molten stone

from volcanoes.

Far away

further than the vanishing end point

lies our cold twin, sleeping

this peculiar little sister begins

awakening

as the sun approaches

and warms her up.

She has been immersed

into frosted stone

the ice is still standing

majestically high

as transparent mountain skeletons

they blow the wind in all directions

the ice and the wind intersect

deep down between the mountains

in vast valleys

running river

wild, fierce

and tumbling

of liquid methane gas.

Slowly, the young girl wakes up

as the ice is melting and methane gas

becomes fresh air

she is gathered with other creatures

from

under the ice

when we arrive

fleeing from our glowing globe

and blow of raging rocks

she will be pushing us into the cold

water

of the rivers

and breath air into our lungs

which may take our lives.

But there is always a summer

following winter.

Translation by the author

6 Red Door Magazine


7

Building a Multilingual Commons: Inside the Making of NOMULAB.ORG- NORDIC MULTIMEDIA WRITING LAB

The development of NOMULAB.ORG

began with a clear observation shared by

Ós Pressan in Reykjavík and Red Door in

Copenhagen: multilingual writers across

the Nordic region are steadily increasing

in number, yet the support structures

available to them remain fragmented.

Independent workshops, community-led

initiatives and individual advocacy have

long carried this work, but the absence of a

sustained platform—digital, pedagogically

coherent and culturally grounded—has

limited broader access. The Multilingual

Writing LAB project emerged to address

this gap, and NOMULAB.ORG became its

central instrument for long-term impact.

Running from 1 February 2025 to 31 May

2026 within the Erasmus+ framework,

(and currently seeking funds to continue

operations) the Multilingual Writing

LAB project is designed to empower

older youth and adults from diverse

linguistic backgrounds, strengthen the

capacities of educators in multicultural

environments and promote multilingual

writing practices using digital tools. The

initiative brings together two literary

networks that have, for years, fostered

inclusive cultural landscapes: Ós Pressan

in Iceland and Red Door in Denmark. Their

partnership situates creative writing at

the intersection of social inclusion, artistic

research and digital innovation.

The project is grounded in core

principles central to the Erasmus+

programme: advancing inclusion

and diversity across educational

fields; supporting digital readiness;

expanding learning opportunities across

generations; bridging cultural, social

and linguistic divides; and reinforcing

the value of creativity, arts and culture.

IN THIS ARTICLE:

Photos by: Patrik Ontkovic

www.nomulab.org

NOMULAB.ORG responds to these goals

by offering free courses, multilingual

resources and pedagogical materials that

contribute to a more equitable literary

environment.

The platform’s target communities

reflect the broad spectrum of individuals

engaged in multilingual culture: older

youth and adults at risk of marginalisation,

including Deaf writers; educators working

in multilingual or multicultural settings;

researchers and academics whose

work touches on language, culture and

mobility; and policymakers concerned

with the future of linguistic and cultural

representation. By placing these groups

in dialogue, the project enables new forms

of exchange and encourages collective

insight.

The urgency of this work is particularly

evident in Iceland, where first-generation

immigrants now constitute more than

17 percent of the population. Although

multilingual writing has begun to gain

recognition through independent artistic

initiatives and the support of Reykjavík

UNESCO City of Literature, its institutional

visibility remains uneven. Only 2

percent of authors receiving national

writing subsidies are from multilingual

backgrounds, and educators have

limited access to multilingual teaching

materials. The desire to protect the

Icelandic language, while culturally vital,

can unintentionally restrict opportunities

for creative expression in other native

languages.

Denmark faces parallel challenges.

Fourteen percent of the population

consists of immigrants and their

descendants, yet diversity measures in

the literary field remain at an early stage.

Danish continues to dominate national

publishing, and many writers working in

other languages must publish abroad to

find readership and recognition.

8 Red Door Magazine


9

The Multilingual Writing LAB Training,

held on 2–3 September 2025 at Hafnar.

haus in Reykjavík, introduced the

pedagogical foundations that will later

shape NOMULAB.ORG. Co-organised

by Red Door and Ós Pressan, the

gathering brought together more than

thirty participants from Iceland and

Denmark and served as a practical testing

ground for the project’s commitment to

community-building, reflective practice

and experimental learning.

The first day featured presentations

by Ewa Marcinek and Elizabeth Torres,

followed by insights from the developing

report Multilingual Writing in Denmark

and Iceland, which outlined contemporary

challenges and emerging opportunities.

A long-table conversation with Nina

Sokol, Pablo Saborío and Anna Valdís

Kro created space for shared reflection

across linguistic and cultural experience.

The evening session, led by Anna Valdís

Kro and Elsa G. Björnsdóttir, explored

Visual Vernacular and creative writing in

Icelandic Sign Language, offering a vivid

demonstration of how multilingual and

multisensory practices intersect. The

second day extended this inquiry through

Pablo Saborío’s session The Writer as

Philosopher, a screening from Red Door’s

Poetic Phonotheque and Helen Cova’s

workshop Split Heart: On Linguistic

Honesty, concluding with a communal

dinner and open mic.

BREAKING

THE LANGUAGE

BARRIER:

The State of

Multilingual Writing

in Denmark

A report

Together, these activities outlined

the strategic direction NOMULAB.

ORG will carry into its digital platform:

translating the depth of in-person

artistic exchange into accessible online

formats while maintaining the integrity

of multilingual practice. The project

positions multilingual writing as central

to contemporary literature and seeks

to build a multilingual commons that

strengthens cultural representation

across Iceland, Denmark and Europe,

reshaping how literary ecosystems

understand linguistic plurality. .

10 Red Door Magazine


11

BREAKING THE LANGUAGE BARRIER:

The State of Multilingual Writing in Denmark

This national report, developed by Red

Door as part of the Multilingual Writing LAB

project funded by Erasmus+, explores the

multilingual writing landscape in Denmark,

with a complementary research and

correspondent report conducted in Iceland

by Ós Pressan. The report examines the

challenges, opportunities, and institutional

support available for writers working across

multiple languages, focusing on Denmark’s

literary ecosystem.

Through desk research and qualitative

interviews with writers, educators, and

experts, it identifies structural barriers, cultural

expectations, and funding gaps that hinder

the inclusion of multilingual voices. Grassroots

initiatives and digital tools are highlighted as

critical in fostering visibility and community

for multilingual writers. Key findings include

the lack of institutional support, limited

funding for non-Danish-language work, and

the absence of tailored educational programs.

Recommendations include policy reform,

targeted funding mechanisms, multilingual

writing courses, and the creation of platforms

to promote linguistic diversity. By addressing

these gaps, Denmark’s literary scene can

embrace multilingual writing as a tool for

inclusion, cultural exchange, and literary

innovation, aligning with the broader goals of

the Multilingual Writing LAB project..

The research is part of the Multilingual

Writing LAB project, an Erasmus+ funded

initiative running from February 1, 2025, to

May 31, 2026. Implemented by Ós Pressan

(Iceland, lead partner) in collaboration with

Red Door (Denmark, supporting partner),

the project aims to empower older youth

and adult learners from diverse linguistic

and cultural backgrounds. It also supports

educators in multicultural environments

and promotes multilingual writing as a tool

for inclusion, particularly through the use of

digital technologies.

Key findings include:

- Challenges: Language barriers, cultural

stereotypes, and exclusion from institutional

funding.

- Opportunities: Digital tools and grassroots

networks offer alternative pathways for

visibility and collaboration.

- Policy Gaps: Denmark’s literary policies

prioritize Danish-language literature,

excluding immigrant and minority languages.

- Recommendations: Policy reform, targeted

funding, multilingual writing courses, and

platforms to promote linguistic diversity.

The report calls for structural reforms

to embrace multilingual writing as a tool

for inclusion, cultural exchange, and

literary innovation, aligning with broader

European goals of fostering diversity.

Project Scope and Objectives

The project seeks to connect literary and

educational networks in Iceland and Denmark

to foster inclusion through multilingual,

multicultural, and multimedia literature. The

key objectives are:

-To identify current challenges and

opportunities for emerging writers from

diverse linguistic and cultural backgrounds in

Iceland and Denmark.

-To examine grassroots and institutional

initiatives that utilize literature to

promote inclusion across Icelandic,

Danish, and broader European contexts.

Key Concepts

The project engages critically with several

interrelated concepts, including:

-Multilingual writing

-Translingual writing

-Diverse writing

-Multilingual writing education

-Inclusion through literature

-Cultural hybridity

-Linguistic identity

-Intersectionality in literature

-Language policies

-Literary inclusion

-Counter-narratives

Step 1: Desk Research

A systematic review of cultural policies, literary

funding mechanisms, and inclusion strategies

was conducted. Key sources included

national cultural strategies (e.g., Kulturens

Analyseinstitut), funding guidelines from

the Danish Arts Foundation, and institutional

documentation from libraries, publishers,

and civil society organizations involved in

literary inclusion. Attention was given to the

extent of support for multilingualism, the

representation of language minority writers,

and the role of national identity in shaping

cultural narratives.

This phase includes a review of existing

literature and data on multilingual and

multicultural writing, with attention to the

representation and support mechanisms for

language minority writers, including the deaf

community.

Background

Denmark is internationally recognized for its

strong literary tradition, rooted in the Danish

language and supported by a robust network

of cultural institutions, publishing houses,

and public funding mechanisms. However,

the evolving linguistic landscape shaped

by migration, transnational mobility, and

globalization has introduced new dynamics

into the cultural field. According to Statistics

Denmark, over 14% of Denmark’s population

has a foreign background (immigrants and

descendants as of 2024), with a wide range of

spoken languages, including Arabic, Turkish,

Somali, Urdu, and English, among others.

Despite this linguistic plurality, the integration

of multilingual writers into Denmark’s literary

ecosystem remains limited. Multilingual

writing, defined here as writing that engages

with or moves between multiple languages in

its form or content, plays a vital role in bridging

linguistic and cultural divides. It facilitates

self-expression for writers navigating hybrid

identities and offers a platform for counternarratives

that challenge monolingual

and monocultural paradigms in literature.

Nevertheless, structural barriers continue

to marginalize such voices. Research and

stakeholder feedback indicate limited

access to public funding, gatekeeping

in traditional publishing, and a lack of

institutional recognition for writing in non-

Danish languages. A 2022 study by the

Danish Arts Foundation (Statens Kunstfond)

acknowledges the need for greater diversity

in literary programming but notes the lack of

systematic frameworks to support writers

from minority language backgrounds.

Research Questions

The research is guided by the following

Step 2: Qualitative Research:

questions:

Ten in-depth interviews were conducted with

-How do the socio-political landscapes of

individuals from varied linguistic, cultural,

Iceland and Denmark shape and respond

and professional backgrounds. Participants

to multilingualism, particularly through

included emerging and established

language policies, education systems, and the

multilingual writers, educators, and cultural Multilingual writers often rely on informal

integration of minority languages?

organizers. Two interview frameworks were networks, community initiatives, or digital

-What are the current challenges and

developed to address the distinct experiences platforms to gain visibility, though these

opportunities for emerging writers from

of writers and educators, focusing on:

remain under-resourced. This underscores a

It highlights systemic barriers such as limited diverse linguistic and cultural backgrounds,

-Personal trajectories and challenges in broader tension between Denmark’s national

funding, lack of educational programs, including the deaf community?

multilingual writing

cultural narrative—strongly tied to linguistic

and cultural expectations that marginalize -How are language minority writers, including

-Support mechanisms and institutional cohesion—and the emerging translingual

non-Danish-language writers. Grassroots those from signing communities, represented

interactions

realities of its increasingly diverse society.

initiatives and digital platforms provide critical and supported in each national context?

-The role of digital tools in writing and

support but remain underfunded and outside -What grassroots and institutional initiatives

publishing

mainstream literary structures.

exist in Iceland, Denmark, and across Europe

-Educational approaches to multilingualism

12

that promote inclusion through literature?

Red Door Magazine


13

Current Status and Context ( Denmark)

Denmark’s literary infrastructure is historically

oriented around the Danish language, which

continues to dominate cultural production,

funding allocations, and literary canon

formation. While the Danish Arts Foundation

remains a central institution for funding

writers and literary projects, its eligibility

criteria and evaluation standards prioritize

works in Danish or those translated into

Danish, implicitly disadvantaging authors

working primarily in other languages.

Although there is a growing acknowledgment

of cultural diversity—reflected in policy

documents such as the Ministry of Culture’s

Strategy for Cultural Cooperation 2021–

2024—implementation mechanisms for

linguistic inclusion remain underdeveloped.

Minoritized languages, including those spoken

by immigrant and refugee communities, are

rarely featured in mainstream publishing or

state-sponsored literary programs.

Grassroots initiatives, such as Red Door

in Denmark or BIPOC Copenhagen, H2O,

Ordskælv, among a few other grassroots

organizations, play a critical role in creating

space for multilingual voices through

community-based workshops, multilingual

publications, and collaborations with cultural

institutions, as do bookshops such as SUPER,

ARK BOOKS and THE POND by providing

space for meet-ups, open mics, workshops

and book clubs from a grassroots level.

However, these are often underfunded and

operate outside institutional centers of

literary recognition. Similarly, public libraries,

while mandated to serve diverse populations,

report limited multilingual collections and

programming due to budget constraints and

policy limitations.

Digital platforms and social media offer

alternative modes of expression and visibility

for multilingual writers, allowing for selfpublishing

and audience-building beyond the

traditional literary infrastructure. However,

these remain parallel rather than integrated

pathways within the national literary field.

The emphasis on preserving Danish linguistic

and cultural identity—often in response to

debates on integration and cohesion — has

created a cautious institutional environment

where multilingual contributions are

often seen as supplementary rather than

central to the national literary narrative.

Literary Policy

Denmark’s literary policies prioritize

Danish-language literature, with limited

provisions for multilingual writers. While

there is funding for minority languages like

Greenlandic and Sámi, immigrant languages

often fall outside the scope of institutional

support. Policies addressing multilingual

writing and minority languages are limited,

highlighting a need for targeted interventions.

Denmark’s literary policy infrastructure

remains deeply oriented toward Danishlanguage

production, with limited institutional

support for multilingual literature or works

in immigrant languages. While some

stronger support exists for historically

recognized minority languages such as

Greenlandic and Northern Sámi, most

migrant or non-European heritage languages

are not covered by existing frameworks.

Legal and Institutional Framework

The Literature Act (1996, updated via the

Danish Arts Council legislation in 2003)

establishes support for Danish literature,

including translated works, but does not

explicitly aim to support multilingual or non-

Danish-language writing Cultural Policies.

Translation and publication grants from

the Danish Arts Foundation predominantly

prioritize Danish works and their international

dissemination, not literature in minority or

immigrant languages Literary Production and

Translation Grant Program (Denmark).

Public support is heavily skewed toward

works originally in Danish or translation into

Danish. Translators and foreign publishers

receive grant support only when presenting

Danish-origin literature abroad or translating

Danish titles—creating an indirect barrier for

immigrant-language authors whose work

originates outside Danish literary production.

Funding Data and Focus

In 2022, the Danish Arts Foundation awarded

approximately DKK 555 million (around €74

million) across artistic disciplines. Of this,

only DKK 266 thousand was allocated to

literature proper—just over 2% of total state

and municipal arts funding—highlighting

the relative modest scale of investment in

literature compared to other cultural sectors

Norden Publications. There is no earmarked

budget line for multilingual literature or for

supporting immigrant-language writing

specifically.

Minority languages such as Greenlandic

and Sámi do receive some attention via the

European Charter for Regional or Minority

Languages, which Denmark has ratified for

the German minority in Southern Jutland.

However, immigrant languages such as Arabic,

Somali, Turkish, and Urdu remain entirely

outside this framework and are not covered

by public literary funding or policy support .

Language Education Policy and Its Literary

Implications

Denmark ceased public funding for mothertongue

instruction (bilingual education)

for most languages in 2002. Today, such

instruction is restricted to children from

EU/EEA countries, and primarily used as an

auxiliary tool to support learning Danish—not

as a channel for fostering cultural or linguistic

diversity at Queen’s University. This educational

policy orientation further marginalizes non-

European language communities and reduces

pathways for maintaining literary practice in

home languages. Similarly, interpreting and

translation services in the public sector remain

unregulated, lacking standardized public

programmes in many immigrant languages.

Interpreters in languages such as Somali,

Urdu, Arabic, Polish, Romanian, and Kurdish

exist in practice, but institutional certification

and training systems remain limited. The

absence of formal structures for translation

and literary mediation further constrains the

development and recognition of multilingual

literature.

Summary of Policy Gaps

-State literary instruments focus almost

exclusively on Danish-language literature and

translation of Danish literature—to and from

major languages—but do not encompass

literature produced in immigrant or refugee

languages.

-Educational policy eliminates support for

minority language instruction, limiting homelanguage

literacy and creativity.

-There is no official recognition or support

structure for immigrant-language literature as

part of Denmark’s cultural or literary heritage.

-Lack of targeted funding streams or eligibility

for authors working in non-European or

community languages.

-Institutional funding priorities (e.g., Danish

Arts Foundation) and eligibility criteria

implicitly exclude multilingual authors

unless their work is translated into Danish or

published by recognized Danish publishers.

Courses Available for Multilingual Writers in

Denmark

Educational and cultural institutions in

Denmark offer some relevant courses but

none designed explicitly for multilingual writing

development. Existing offerings are often

English-language writing courses or inclusive

creative programs rather than curricula

tailored to multilingual expression and identity.

(see list of available courses on the full report

at www.nomulab.org

Potential Directions for Expansion

-Creative writing curricula could be expanded

to include multilingual workshops, translationled

mentorship, and translingual author

residencies.

-Cultural organisations, universities, and

grassroots platforms might collaborate

to develop courses that explicitly support

multilingual writers, addressing identity,

code-switching, linguistic hybridity, and

intersectionality.

-Inclusion of deaf writers and sign-language

literacies, as well as support for community

languages of immigrant writers, remains

notably absent and represents an urgent area

for institutional intervention.



15

*Read the interviews and full report at

www.nomulab.org

Educational and Funding Gaps

Participants identified a severe lack of courses

tailored to multilingual literary development.

Most creative writing programs presume a

Danish-language framework, which excludes

or marginalizes non-Danish participants.

Elvis: “A good literary magazine in English

would be nice to have—well-edited and

curated to support multilingual writers.”

Fatma: “Educational institutions should offer

more courses tailored to multilingual writers,

focusing on translation and cross-cultural

storytelling.”

Recommendations for Support

Writers proposed structural reforms to enable

inclusion, including mentorship programs,

more flexible funding criteria, and institutional

spaces for minority-language writers.

Interviewee1: “We need more workshops and

mentorship programs for writers in minority

languages.”

Interviewee2: “Create spaces where writers

in minority languages can share their work

and connect with audiences.”

Key Findings of effects of policies affecting

the community:

Denmark’s literary policy significantly affects

multilingual writers by creating structural

barriers that limit their inclusion and support.

Key impacts include:

1. Prioritization of Danish-language

literature: Literary policies and funding

mechanisms focus almost exclusively on

works written in Danish or translated into

Danish. This excludes multilingual writers who

produce literature in immigrant or minority

languages.

2. Limited funding opportunities:

Grants from institutions like the Danish Arts

Foundation prioritize Danish-language works

or their dissemination abroad. Immigrant

languages such as Arabic, Somali, Turkish,

and Urdu are not covered by public literary

funding frameworks.

3. Exclusion from translation support:

Translation grants primarily support Danishorigin

literature, leaving immigrant-language

authors without resources to translate their

works into Danish or other languages.

4. Educational policy gaps: Denmark

ceased public funding for mother-tongue

instruction for most languages in 2002,

further marginalizing non-European language

communities and reducing pathways for

literary practice in home languages.

5. Institutional gatekeeping: Grant

eligibility often requires affiliation with

recognized Danish publishers or literary

agencies, which excludes independent

multilingual writers and self-publishers.

6. Cultural expectations: Multilingual

writers face pressure to conform to narratives

centered on the “immigrant experience,”

limiting genre diversity and discouraging

experimentation.

Overall, Denmark’s literary policy creates

systemic obstacles for multilingual writers,

marginalizing their voices and limiting

their access to funding, recognition, and

institutional support.

Identified Needs and Gaps:

1. Lack of institutional support for

multilingual writers.

2. Limited funding opportunities for non-

Danish-language work.

3. Absence of targeted educational

programs for multilingual literary

development.

4. Insufficient platforms for sharing and

promoting multilingual writing.

Recommendations

1. Policy Reform: Advocate for inclusive

literary policies that recognize and support

multilingual writers.

2. Funding Mechanisms: Develop grants

specifically for multilingual writers, with

simplified application processes.

3. Educational Programs: Introduce

courses focused on multilingual writing,

translation, and cultural integration.

4. Platform Creation: Establish dedicated

spaces for sharing multilingual writing.

5. Digital Integration: Leverage digital

tools to enhance visibility and collaboration.

6. Community Building: Strengthen

initiatives like Red Door to provide mentorship,

networking, and visibility for multilingual

writers.

Conclusions

This report underscores the systemic

challenges faced by multilingual writers

in Denmark, highlighting the structural,

cultural, and institutional barriers that

hinder their inclusion in the national literary

ecosystem. Despite Denmark’s rich literary

tradition and increasing linguistic diversity,

its policies and funding mechanisms remain

predominantly oriented toward Danishlanguage

literature, marginalizing writers

who work in immigrant or minority languages.

The lack of targeted grants, educational

programs, and institutional recognition for

multilingual writing perpetuates exclusion,

while cultural expectations often constrain

creative expression by imposing narrow

identity narratives.

Grassroots initiatives and digital platforms

provide critical spaces for multilingual writers

to share their work and build communities.

However, these efforts remain underfunded

and operate outside mainstream literary

structures. The report identifies significant

gaps in policy, funding, and education,

emphasizing the need for reforms that

recognize multilingualism as a cultural asset

rather than a peripheral concern.

To foster a more inclusive literary landscape,

the report recommends policy reforms, the

creation of dedicated funding streams, the

development of multilingual writing courses,

and the establishment of platforms that

celebrate linguistic diversity. By addressing

these gaps, Denmark has the opportunity

to embrace multilingual writing as a tool

for cultural exchange, inclusion, and literary

innovation, aligning with broader European

goals of fostering diversity and transnational

collaboration.

*read the transnational

study (Iceland &

Denmark) at

www.nomulab.org

References

-Babel‐Bridge Literary Agency. (n.d.). About Babel‐Bridge.

Retrieved July 22, 2025, from https://www.babel-bridge.com/

about

-Danish Arts Foundation (Statens Kunstfond). (2022). Grants

and literary funding overview. Retrieved July 22, 2025, from

https://slks.dk/english/grants/grant/literary-production-andtranslation

-EMPIRE BIO. (n.d.). About Empire Bio – Cinema in Copenhagen.

Retrieved July 22, 2025, from https://www.empirebio.dk/

-European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. (n.d.).

Council of Europe. Retrieved July 22, 2025, from https://

www.coe.int/en/web/european-charter-regional-or-minoritylanguages

-Hald Hovedgaard Writers and Translators Residency. (n.d.).

Among the Danes Residency. Retrieved July 22, 2025, from

https://haldhovedgaard.dk/among-the-danes-residency-2024

-Islands Brygge Kulturhuset. (n.d.). Cultural House Islands

Brygge (Kulturhuset Islands Brygge). Retrieved July 22, 2025,

from https://kulturhusetislandsbrygge.kk.dk/

-Kunst & Kultur i Balance. (n.d.). Kunst & Kultur i Balance:

Diversity in cultural institutions. Retrieved July 22, 2025, from

https://kkib.org/

-Ministry of Culture, Denmark. (2021). Strategy for Cultural

Cooperation 2021–2024. Retrieved July 22, 2025, from https://

kum.dk/english

-Nature & Culture International Poetry Film Festival. (n.d.).

Official website. Retrieved July 22, 2025, from https://www.

reddoormagazine.com/poetryfilmfestival/

-Nordic Council. (n.d.). Nordic Council Literature Prize. Retrieved

July 22, 2025, from https://www.norden.org/en/nordic-councilliterature-prize

-Ordskælv. (n.d.). Youth literature and writing workshops.

Retrieved July 22, 2025, from https://www.ordskaelv.dk

-Poetry Unleashed CPH. (n.d.). [No official website available]

-Poetic Phonotheque. (n.d.). Poetic Phonotheque digital archive.

Retrieved July 22, 2025, from https://www.poeticphonotheque.

com

-Queen’s University. (n.d.). Country profile – Denmark:

Immigrant minorities in cultural policy. Retrieved July 22, 2025,

from https://www.queensu.ca/mcp/immigrant-minorities/

resultsbycountry-im/denmark-im

-Red Door Magazine. (n.d.). Literary and cultural magazine.

Retrieved July 22, 2025, from https://www.reddoormagazine.

com/

-Red Door Gallery CPH. (n.d.). Art space and exhibitions.

Retrieved July 22, 2025, from https://www.reddoorproject.dk

-Red Press. (n.d.). Books and publishing under Red Door.

Retrieved July 22, 2025, from https://www.reddoorproject.dk/

publications

-Red Transmissions Podcast. (n.d.). Podcast episodes

and archive. Retrieved July 22, 2025, from https://www.

redtransmissions.libsyn.com

-South Gate Creative Writing School. (n.d.). Creative Writing

BFA program in Denmark. Retrieved July 22, 2025, from https://

southgateschool.dk/program

-Statistics Denmark. (2024). Population and language data.

Retrieved July 22, 2025, from https://www.dst.dk/en

-Studieskolen. (n.d.). Language courses in Copenhagen.

Retrieved July 22, 2025, from https://www.studieskolen.dk

-SUPER (Super Time Books). (n.d.). Independent publisher

and bookstore. Retrieved July 22, 2025, from https://

supertimebooks.com/

-ARK Books. (n.d.). Volunteer-run English-language bookshop.

Retrieved July 22, 2025, from https://www.arkbooks.dk/

-The Pond CPH. (n.d.). Community-driven cultural and arts

events. Retrieved July 22, 2025, from https://www.thepondcph.

com/

-The Danish Arts Council. (1996, updated 2003). The Literature

Act of Denmark. Retrieved July 22, 2025, from https://slks.

dk/english/about-us/the-danish-arts-foundation/literaturecommittee/

-University of Copenhagen. (n.d.). Creative writing courses and

humanities programs. Retrieved July 22, 2025, from https://

kurser.ku.dk/course/henk13142u/2025-2026



17

Reimagining Accessibility: An Artist’s

Journey Through Disability, Identity, and Belonging in Berlin

by Laura Arena

As a newly disabled artist navigating Berlin’s

art landscape, I find myself in a

transformative stage of my practice. My

ongoing recovery from a traumatic brain injury

has not only reshaped how I move through the

world but has also demanded that I reexamine

the role of disability within my art.

For me, artistic research is not simply about

making photos or installations—it is about

asking urgent questions: How do I integrate

my new realities into my work? What does

safety and belonging look like in Berlin’s art

scene? And how can accessibility be more

than a box ticked, but a deeply embodied and

liberatory practice?

I will be exploring these questions and more

during my research artist-in-residence

program with Air Berlin Alexanderplatz (ABA)

from September through December 2025.

Berlin, long considered a hub for experimental,

independent, and politically engaged art,

offers fertile ground for this exploration. Yet,

the experience of disabled artists within this

ecosystem remains uneven. While some

initiatives gesture toward inclusion, the

reality often falls short of what is needed to

achieve equitable participation. My work

aims to address this gap. I want to investigate

what real accessibility looks like in Berlin’s

programs, how collectives and institutions

support (or fail) disabled artists, and what

kinds of infrastructures are necessary for

artists like me—BIPOC, queer, foreign, and

disabled—to thrive rather than merely survive.

Central to this research is the role of language.

Words carry power; they can reinforce

marginalisation or open new pathways of

empowerment. I am curious about how

language—whether in institutional policy,

curatorial framing,

or community dialogue— shapes perceptions

of disability. How can artists reclaim this space

to create new vocabularies of belonging, ones

that resist stereotypes and foster resilience?

Funding, too, plays a decisive role in

determining who gets to tell their story. As

part of my residency, I intend to explore the

funding capacities available for disabilityrelated

arts projects in Berlin and beyond.

By examining models of accessibility and

Europe, I aim to identify strategies that can

be effectively translated into a local context.

These models are not just about resources;

they are about building cultures of care,

solidarity, and accountability—values that sit

at the heart of my artistic practice.

My motivation is deeply personal. I want

to transform the discrimination I have

faced in the art world—whether rooted in

race, or disability—into creative fuel. This

transformation is not only for me but also for

others navigating similar experiences.

Through collaboration with artist collectives,

community engagement, and the sharing

of knowledge, I hope to understand what is

possible for disabled artists to feel both seen

and supported.

The action items guiding this inquiry are as

much about connection as they are about

research. My focus includes identifying

Berlin-based collectives and organizations

that support disabled artists, while also

exploring how accessibility and inclusion

are implemented within arts programs. I am

interested in investigating funding

opportunities specific to disability and the

arts, as well as learning from international

examples of best practices. Equally important

is transforming experiences of

discrimination and the practice of accessibility

into my individual artistic expression, and

building supportive networks that not only

sustain myself but also enable broader

societal change.

Beyond Categories: The Freedom of

Losing Oneself

Identity is never static. For some, it is

shaped by the slow accumulation of

experiences and cultural expectations.

For others, it shifts abruptly—disrupted

by circumstances that unravel what

once felt fixed. For me, a traumatic brain

injury marked such a rupture. In its wake, I

experienced what could only be described

as an “ego death.” My sense of self—

particularly around race and gender—fell

away, leaving behind a strange mixture

of disorientation, ease, and freedom.

Identity Politics and Brain Trauma

In society, identity politics often provides a

framework for recognition, visibility, and

solidarity. Yet, after brain surgery, I found myself

stripped of the very categories that had

once anchored me. Being a mixed-race white,

Indigenous American person had always

carried weight, tangled with issues inherited

from childhood and complicated by belonging

to more than one cultural world. But in the

aftermath of injury, those identifiers loosened

their hold. The suffering was real, but

so was the relief of release. The paradox was

striking: with the loss of rigid identity markers

came a sense of lightness, a liberation from

roles I had once been expected to perform.

At the same time, the world continued to

demand categorization, especially within the

art field, where identity often functions as

shorthand for context and credibility.

The Art World’s Boxes

Nowhere is the tension between freedom and

categorization more pronounced than in my

own experience in the contemporary art

world. Here, artists are often asked to state

their pronouns, list their identity markers,

and situate themselves within pre-defined

boxes—queer, non-binary, BIPOC, disabled.

These designations can be affirming, but they

can also flatten complexity.

For someone navigating life post-brain injury,

the act of claiming such labels often feels

fraught. I am both inside and outside of them.

Each box holds truth, but none captures the

whole. Context matters far more than the

ticked-off checklist, yet the system seems

built to prioritize shorthand over nuance.

Speaking Needs in Berlin

Living in Berlin for healthcare, because in the

US I am uninsured after my accident, has only

heightened these tensions. Expressing needs

in a cultural scene that prizes experimentation

and creativity but often resists

accommodations can be exhausting. At times,

I’ve been met with gaslighting or shame when

trying to articulate the realities of my needs

with a traumatic brain injury.

Yet silence is not an option. The work of survival

requires pushing beyond expectations,

insisting on the legitimacy of needs that fall

outside of established norms. This is not

simply personal—it is a call for a shift in how

we imagine artistic communities. It is the only

way, as a lifelong artist, to be able to work again.

Toward Deeper Understanding

Ultimately, my journey in Berlin is not just

Stating identity markers should be seen as

Gender and Shifting Selves

about adapting to my disability—it is about

only the beginning, not the end, of artistic

In my formative years in the 80s and 90s,

envisioning new ways of working that center

exchange. They are signposts, not

I witnessed the pressures women faced to

care, access, and collective empowerment.

destinations. To reduce artists to categories

conform to narrow standards of beauty and

In doing so, I hope to contribute to a

is to miss the richness of what diverse

body image. Those years left an imprint of

cultural ecosystem where disabled

experiences actually bring to creative work.

dissatisfaction and constraint, shaping early

artists are not an afterthought but

The art scene thrives when it embraces

notions of gender. After the brain injury,

vital voices shaping the future of art.

complexity, acknowledging that every story

however, these notions unraveled. Gender no

carries layers of history, trauma, resilience,

longer felt as binding. What emerged was a

and possibility. By moving beyond stereotypes

deep questioning: How much of what we call

and conventional identities, we create space

identity is externally imposed? How much of

for voices that defy easy classification—

it is a survival strategy? And what possibilities

open up when the usual labels no longer

and in doing so, we deepen our collective

imagination and create a much more beautiful

seem to fit?

inclusion across

and fascinating world.



19

POETRY:

‘baba wawa’

On our anniversary

for John

i’s told ppl tend 2 forget language as they age / they drnk their mutter tung & strt to murmur

like chldrn / its a refuge / & that’s not all their is 2 it / almaazz sed she cüd only find’er

voice in arbic (i felt da urge to protest) / she’s merried 2 moovment & saund / butt theirs a

diffrnt trooth 2 it / i dunno watt 2 make ov language / w so mutsh lust in translation / Inuit

dont have a wurd 4 colnization (let alone decolnization) / wee dont have nuff wurds 4 Inuit

/ nor the humming of trees.

When the moon’s a billboard,

when billionaires pick off

asteroids like cherries, licking

fat fingers, when the planets

are unreal estate, no big deal

to the dealers out to ring up

the farthest star, when the force

of making more and taking more

sucks them back toward collapse,

gas giant to red dwarf to fermion—

what will remain is what you were

and what you proved it possible

to be: my steadiness, my gravity,

my universal constant, bass voice

booming deep amid the static hiss

of outer space, the cosmic waste,

giving and giving life because

Love’s the big bang. Here I stay,

years past your death, home-spun,

tight-held to your small blue earth.

Mezi is a Canadian-based poet, photographer, and Zen student. His work appears or

is forthcoming in The Malahat Review, filling Station, Plenitude Magazine, EVENT, The

Inflectionist Review, and elsewhere. He is also the author of Medellín (2017), a chapbook of

photopoetry for the benefit of refugees. Learn more at mezi.site.

Kristin Camitta Zimet is a poet, visual artist, and naturalist in the mountains of Virginia in

the United States. Her poems have been published in nine countries, performed in venues

from arboretum to concert hall, and hung in museums. She is the author of Take in My Arms

the Dark, a book of poetry, and co-author of A Tender Time, a book about aging with grace.



21

Ninsol taq b’ätz nwajo’ ninkir ri k’aslem

ninq’in nukem xa yennut k’aslemal je’

ninya’ok nukem re ninb’ij, nintzijoj apo

ninb’ën utzil nupop wakami’ ntik qa ri ajowab’äl

Rija’, ja rija’ nukem k’aslemal je’

rija’ nupach’uj jeb’ël taq tzij

ja rija’ ri’y rumam ri E, Aj, Ix ri Tz’ikin,

b’iron wi pa jun su’t taq xink’ul apo

b’iron wi rik’in taq b’onil toq xinwetamaj ruwäch,

xtawil ta ruki’il ri jalajoj ruwäch ak’aslem jeb’ël ti nute’

Rija’, ja rija’ nachik’ pa ruwaran

rija’ nachik’ toq k’äs

chuqa’ nirachk’aj rachik’ taq achik’ je’

nril ri’ chupam ri ruk’u’x ri kaj ri ruk’u’x ri ulew,

chwa’q, xkojnojin jub’a’ chik

re xa xtiqil jun ka’i’ oxi’ chik taq b’ey

xa xkojk’o je chik na wi junam xtiqak’asb’a kan qab’anob’al je’

Xenq’in jalajoj kib’anikil taq b’ey

k’a xinwil na, raq’el wi chukojol taq ab’äj

xinchojchob’irisaj ti ruwäch

xinyek rutzub’al ri ti tukr

k’a ri’ xenrik’ taq ruxik’

k’a ri’ xojxik’an

xojxik’an el pa ruk’u’x ri man k’isel ta kikotemal.

K’ojlemal

Untangling the skein I choose to unbind

setting my warp I begin to unite lifeways

weaving this fabric I say, I recount

preparing my pop, right now, I resolve to sow love

Her, it is her who weaves lifeways

her who braids beautiful words

it is her who is the granddaughter of E, Aj, Ix Tz’ikin

wrapped in a su’t when I receive her there

enveloped in colors when I recognize her

my beautiful daughter, you will find blessing in all your lives

Him, it is him who dreams in his sleep

him who dreams when awake

and he dreams dreams of dreams

he finds himself in the heart of the heavens, the heart of all creation

tomorrow, we will recreate again

we’ll find just a couple three more paths

we will just be, together again, we will sustain our culture

I traveled countless kinds of roads

until I found her, leaning against the rocks

I cleaned her delicate face

I raised the owlette’s countenance

then I unfurled her wings

then we soared

we soared toward the center, where joy does not end.

Presence

POETRY:

Ser y Estar

Devano los hilos y decido desatar

urdo mi lienzo y decido unir

preparo mi tejido y decido contar

preparo mi petate y decido sembrar el amor

Ella, la tejedora de seres

ella la trenzadora de palabras

ella es la herencia de E, Aj, Ix de Tz’ikin,

envuelta en un su’t la recibí

envuelta en colores la reconocí,

mi niña, bendita seas en todas tus vidas

Él, él sueña dormido

él sueña despierto

sueña los sueños de los sueños

se re-crea desde el centro del universo,

mañana, volveremos a crear

volveremos a encontrar caminos

para juntos Ser y hacer historia

Recorrí muchas formas de caminos

hasta que la encontré recostada entre las piedras

quité la maleza que la asfixiaba

levanté su mirada de búho

extendí sus alas

y volamos

volamos a la eterna felicidad.

BIO: Negma Coy is an Ajtz’ib’—a Kaqchikel Maya artist, who is from and lives in Chi Xot

(Comalapa), Guatemala. She works in community to ensure that art and community

knowledge continue to flourish. She is a writer, painter, weaver, and cultural promoter.

She writes in the Kaqchikel Mayan language, in Spanish, and with Mayan glyphs. She has

published several books of her poetry in Kaqchikel and Spanish.

Translators’ biographies: Salem Sanfilippo Solindas is an M.A. student at the University

of Kansas studying Indigenous linguistics. His research deals with Indigenous language

art, or tz’ib’, of Central America. He received his B.A in Linguistics and German at KU in

2023. Philip T. Duncan is a linguist at the University of Kansas who works with Indigenous

languages and communities of the Americas and also West Africa.



23

POETRY:

Tariffs for Cool Garden Penguins

POETRY:

alin eclose r

The worst pet is a penguin,

the worst song the cold wind

that licks your feet in bed

as you dream of the fire that kisses

plastic altars in the water.

We commune in circus mirrors,

it would be funny if we were not

the ones who read the headlines,

like a digital bath for the spleen,

Dubai chocolate bars over the cliff.


dances in a circle of sawdust

as we trace the constellations,

shapes of internet cryptids,

analog terror, two thousand teeth,

the stench of extinct squid

and red flowers of the Anthropocene.


all penguins are terrorists,

all penguins are the poem,

the real ones died centuries ago.

All that is left is a drunken simulacrum,

a world of wax and chrome glass,

traffic on the overpass,

narrow as the urethra of a pencil,

while Hephaestus, high on lithium,

eats away at glaciers on the shore.


but very few of us can choose,

the shape the clouds take in hell

when we close our eyes against the wall.

Buy at least the best hat in shop

and a matching cedar cane.

Raise the bird on your shoulder and walk

through streets where no one waits.

When the night falls, make me a child again.

Brian Duran-Fuentes was born and raised in Mexico City. He is a Medical Interpreter at a

Pediatrics Hospital in Dallas, Texas. His work has appeared in several publications including

Oyez Review, Hipérbole Frontera, Thimble Magazine, and After the Storm. He was a

contributor for the now-extinct vaporwave magazine Private Suite.

oned a yIhop e

tocr eat e

some thin g

w/lan guag e

that willpos e

aleg itimatethrea t

toth ecausa l

inte grit y

ofth emateria l

univ ers e.

thiso fcours e

ispr obabl y

noti t…?

that ’sokay.Ia m

notd iscourage d.

ordi sheartene d.

ever ylin e

isal ineclose r.

Nathaniel Lachenmeyer is an award-winning disabled author of books for children

and adults. His first book, The Outsider, which takes as its subject his late father’s

struggles with schizophrenia and homelessness, was published by Broadway Books.

Nathaniel has forthcoming/recently published poems with The American Poetry

Review, Poetry International, and others. Nathaniel lives outside Atlanta with his family.

*Poem first published in The Berlin Literary Review.



25

Douglas Macdonald works in a native plant garden in Evanston, Illinois. He has published in

Sand Journal (Berlin), Here Comes Everyone (UK), Santa Fe Literary Review and many other

magazines.



27

FEATURED ARTIST

THE INVISIBLE STAR:

NIKOLAJ JACOBSEN

Nikolaj Jacobsen’s second book,

The Invisible Star, published by

Red Press, extends the Danish

artist’s long engagement with the

subcultural histories that shaped

him. It is, in many ways, a study of

Copenhagen after the sun goes out.

Its official release and book signing

event takes place at Red Door Gallery

in Copenhagen, at Møllegade 23a kld,

2200N starting at 16 on November

15, 2025. The book release will be

accompanied by an exhibition of the

original artwork.

Emerging from the city’s punk

milieu and the communities around

Jagtvej 69, Jacobsen works from a

visual language grounded in the raw

immediacy of underground culture. His

images document environments where

music, politics and collective identity

intersect, yet they carry a pared-back,

reflective tone that resists nostalgia, as

though each page were a small window

onto something happening in real time.

Following his earlier volume Let’s Rock,

which captured late-night scenes,

punk shows and bar atmospheres in

fragmentary, tactile form, The Invisible

Star shifts attention from overt

intensity to the quieter resonances

that follow it. The new book explores

the intervals between events: people

drinking, dancing, sleeping at bars, the

emotional cadence of the early hours,

the muted exchanges that precede

departure.



29

Just as the title suggests, in The

Invisible Star, the book’s narrative

remains fragmentary and elusive,

reflecting the same quality found

in his character. His images

are impressions, open-ended

questions, unresolved statements,

attentive to the subtle, unspoken

moments that shape a city’s cultural

memory, with his punk background

presented as lived experience

in a need-to-know basis. Red

Press, the independent publishing

project of Red Door founded in

Scandinavia in 2018, provides

the framework for this release.

Operating between Copenhagen

and Malmö, the imprint produces

limited-edition publications that

foreground poetry, essays and visual

arts in English, Danish, Swedish and

Spanish, as well as bilingual editions.

The focus is on quality, distinct voice

and the physical character of the

book as an object—often handmade,

self-funded and distributed through

mail-orders, fairs and collaborations

across Europe, the United States and

South America. The exhibition is on

view until December 14 at Red Door

Gallery on Copenhagen.

Rendered in ink and watercolorlike

delivery on paper, each

square composition echoes the

immediacy of instant photography,

yet the softness of the medium

lends the work a physicality

that feels closer to memory.

Jacobsen anchors the sequence

through text fragments that serve as

both titles and tonal cues. Lines such

as “I too was once a young person

searching for something authentic,”

“It’s 10:30 at night, and I feel like a

human saxophone,” or “The air was

hot and heavy, and Lucy had stopped

listening,” operate as narrative

flashes. Others introduce wry detachment:

“Someone called a doctor

and everything, but it was quite unnecessary.

Shortly after, all was well

again”, while some gesture toward

intimacy or disarray: “People who

are a mess and have nothing to talk

about but their sex lives,” or “You’ve

had 11 beers and a Bloody Mary,

and it’s about time you went home.”

These titles expand the portraits beyond

their frames, offering a dramaturgy

of nightlife while leaving room

for imagination.



31

From Stage to Page:

Live from the launch of Kieran Saint Leonard’s

dark debut novel

by Adam Christopher Smith

No one’s ever danced to a book. Not that this

keeps musicians from writing novels, often

working in unfamiliar silence, the audience invisible,

distant. In doing so, they’re also inverting my

longstanding suspicion that novelists are failed

rock stars. Though in our streaming economy

it’s harder than ever to ‘quit your day job’ as the

whole middle tier of the music industry has collapsed

into the gap between stadium status and

an infinite toilet circuit, the question becomes: is

there even such a thing as a rock star anymore?

Kieran Saint Leonard’s debut novel, A Muse, is

about the dark places which the pursuit of sex,

drugs and rock and roll can lead to. Leonard

has been around the music industry for a moment,

gigging with everyone from Bob Dylan to

Rick Astley, so it’s fair to say he knows his subject

matter. The book has been described as a

semi-autobiographical/fictionalised account of

Leonard’s own life, which is alarming to say the

least. Across 350-odd pages, Leonard makes

his first tentative steps towards ‘breaking America’

– the dream of every musician from the less

glamorous side of the Atlantic – at huge personal,

psychological cost. Along the way, he discovers

the dark, satanic underside of his artistic

dreams and is forced to contend with the full

weight of the question asked by William Blake,

with which the novel is prefaced: “What is the

price of Experience? Do men buy it for a song?”

The book begins with him escaping the “merciless

murmurings of London” and the “music

scene to which I had become so willingly, yet

unhappily, entwined”, moving to an abandoned

church in the middle of a graveyard on the Yorkshire

moors with his fiancée. His newfound domesticity

doesn’t last for long, however, as he’s

soon enticed away to join “a magnificent musical

tour of Europe”. While on the road, playing a

“Nazi rock and roll bunker” in Hamburg, flying to

Vienna “on a plane from 1932” and performing

to an audience of 800 cloaked women in Oslo,

things get increasingly weird. Yet Leonard ignores

his better judgement and agrees to join an

artistic collective in California where things take

an extremely sinister turn.



33

Given much of the action takes place in and

around LA (“the holy city of desire”), it’s fitting

that the story unfolds with all the angst and

tension of an old-school thriller. But it is a

particular gothic noir, told in flamboyant,

lyrical style – “in the last quivering moments

before the red velvet curtain of consciousness

fell, I heard strained notes of profane music

playing savagely on the blizzard wind” –

which certainly won’t be to all tastes, though

the style is aligned to the content insomuch

as it reveals Leonard to be a character so

hopelessly romantic that he’s willing to risk

everything in pursuit of his creative ambitions.

The enduring mystery of A Muse is whether or not

to take the story’s nightmarish crescendo at face

value. Is this something that actually happened,

or is it a drug-induced delirium, or some kind of

deranged expression of the unconscious? (At one

point, Leonard references the Latin phrase vocatus

atque non vocatus, deus aderit, which was inscribed

over the door of Carl Jung’s house in Switzerland.)

At the same time, independent presses around

the world are pushing back against the apparent

death of the novel, releasing challenging,

unconventional work, often from writers outside

the world of books – including musicians.

One of the most exciting of these small presses

is Rose Books, which published Someone Who

Isn’t Me by Geoff Rickly, frontman of posthardcore

band Thursday – a novel inspired by

his experience taking the psychedelic drug

ibogaine at a Mexican clinic to try and quit

heroin. Leonard’s publisher Hyperidean Books,

meanwhile, was launched by Udith Dematagoda

– who played guitar and sang in Glasgow postpunk

band Un Cadavre – to:

“discover and promote writing that

recaptures something of the febrile

vitality of the early twentieth-century

avant-gardes”. The press, which launched

during 2020, has already attracted the

attention of high-profile fans including

Smashing Pumpkins frontman Billy Corgan.

For the launch of A Muse, Hyperidean took

over the Boogaloo Pub, a venue well-known for

hosting impromptu gigs from bands such as The

Libertines. The event was hosted by Irish author

Rob Doyle and featured a DJ set from Fat White

Family frontman Lias Saoudi,

co-author of the book Ten Thousand

Apologies (which also mentions ibogaine in

its many depictions of squalor and excess).

Doyle, whose book Threshold contains lengthy

depictions of psychedelic exploration, remarked

on the heavy presence of psychoactive

substances throughout A Muse – at one point

Leonard writes about offering his friends

“Alexandrine volumes of booze and all the drugs

they could wantonly insufflate” – speculating

that they could well have weakened his

defences against the nefarious influences which

eventually entered his life.

was a companion piece to his albums, with

both projects sharing symbolic threads, crossreferencing

one another, and expressing the

same ideas, just in a different format. Indeed,

towards the book’s end one of Leonard’s friends

remarks that “everything you wrote about on

your first album has now come to pass”.

The novel also includes a scene of Leonard recording

his second record at Stanley Kubrick’s

family estate. The reality-bending occult fascinations

of A Muse make it a natural counterpart

to films such as Kubrick’s erotic drama

Eyes Wide Shut, as well as surreal mystery

Under the Silver Lake, with Leonard writing

about LA – somewhere notorious for being a

machine which bleeds dreamers dry – with the

begrudging respect it undoubtedly deserves,

describing “the sky, the Pacific, the concrete,

all emerging from the 16:9 letterboxing; the city

of endless potential and sensual temptations”.

Both songs and movies have a dreamlike quality

to them and, perhaps, the appeal of a novel

is that it gives a musician the chance to direct

a film without the need for any real budget.

While the concerns of A Muse often lapse into

the esoteric and the supernatural, there is a

very real sense in which art, on some fundamental

level, creates reality rather than simply

reflecting it. The unspoken conviction that

this must be the case is what unites musicians

and writers (and even directors), as well as the

people launching small presses and putting

on literary events. At a time when so much

remains uncertain, the belief persists that

art can show us the way to a different world.

– by Adam Christopher Smith (England)

Born in the London commuter belt, he played in

punk bands and organised warehouse parties before

moving to Wales, where he began his career as a

journalist. His experiences as a tabloid reporter form

the basis of a debut novel, now nearing completion.

After leaving the newspaper industry, he travelled

through the Balkans with his close friend, the author

Richard Owain Roberts. His work has been featured

on the Rose Books Hotline and included in an

anthology from surrealist publisher Morbid Books.

Alongside work on his novel, Adam reviews music for

VICE magazine.

During the question-and-answer session,

framed photographs of Pogues singer Shane

MacGowan could be seen looking on from

almost every wall, a tribute to a deeply literary

voice eventually silenced by self-indulgence.

The literary resurgence going on in London at the

For many musicians, it’s an addiction which ends

moment is enough to rival any music scene, with

up chasing away their muse, so perhaps writing

parties, events and book launches each week –

offers a refuge from the worst excesses of life

some, like the Soho Reading Series summer gala,

on the road.

attracting an audience of up to 600.

Doyle asked Leonard why, if all art “aspires

towards the condition of music”, he would want

to write. Leonard replied that the book



35

THE POETIC PHONOTHEQUE

The Force of NATURE

and the Beauty of CULTURE :

A look into the NATURE & CULTURE

International Poetry Film Festival

by Karlen Schwartz

With the texture of velour covering the

cinema seats under my fingers, I sit

amongst the audience of the NATURE &

CULTURE International Poetry Film Festival.

Mismatching armchairs to my right lead the

way to the cinema exit of Husets Biograf,

the venue of the Poetry Film Festival. For five

years the NATURE & CULTURE Film Festival

has been showcasing a selection of films

varying from animations and short films to

experimental, documentaries and of course a

focus on poetry films.

The organiser of the festival is the Poetic

Phonoteque, a registered non-profit

organisation that describes itself as a living

archive of poetry. Founded by Elizabeth Torres,

it began in 2020 as an audio collection and

has since then evolved into an entity focused

on preserving and sharing contemporary

poetry. The poetry itself can be submitted

in various formats, for example as a voice

recording, a film or as print media. Since its

establishment the Poetic Phonoteque has

amassed an archive of over 700 recordings

from more than 40 countries. One could say

the multicultural online archive of the Poetic

Phonoteque captures its mission to preserve

poetry across borders, languages and media

quite successfully. Currently, the Poetic

Phototeque has its headquarters at the Red

Door Gallery in Copenhagen, Denmark with

collaborators in the United States, Sweden,

the United Kingdom and soon in Finland.

The members of the audience occupy the

chairs of the cinema, watching as the black

screen turns to art before our eyes. The

different interpretations of the theme ‘Nature

and Culture’ can be observed in every single

short film, the audience aware of the emotion

and craft the directors funnelled into their

films. The cinema, with its size and ambience,

is the perfect stage to capture the individuality

of the festival and the curiosity of the audience.

Husets Biograf in Copenhagen has been

the venue of the NATURE & CULTURE

International Poetry Film Festival for multiple

years. Located in Huset KBH, an old building

housing concert venues and a bar downstairs,

the focus on creativity and culture is apparent.

The cinema, located on the 2nd Floor, consists

of a small cafe area filled with sofas and small

coffee tables and a single cinema. The interior

of the cafe is basked in a red hue, the walls

cluttered with souvenirs, dolls and gadgets,

like a grandma’s living room where every

single decoration has its own value. Before the

screening of the films start, the guests take a

seat on the sofas for the director and founder

of the festival, Elizabeth Torres, to make an

introduction into the festival and to engage

in a poetry reading session. The themes and

intimacy of the poetry reading sets a perfect

stage for the films to come.

Behind the intimate screening of the NATURE

& CULTURE International Poetry Film Festival

lie webs of organising and planning. After

all film submissions are reviewed by a small

team of judges, led by co-director Patrick

Horner, a selection is chosen for the Poetry

Film Festival. All of the selected films are

accessible on the website of the Poetic

Phonoteque as part of the online NATURE &

CULTURE International Poetry Film Festival,

and from those film a smaller selection is

made for the live screening.

The NATURE & CULTURE International

Poetry Fim Festival combines the themes

of concerns, dreams and connections

between our communities and the

environment we live in. More specifically,

it highlights humanity’s connection

and dependency on our environment.

How does our culture impact nature, how

relentless and resilient can nature be?

Can nature be characterised as a culture of its

own?



37

The films of the Poetry Film Festival try to

answer these question, some ask questions

of their own. Watching these films was like

lighting a fuse of emotions, every film adding a

new feeling to the string. Some films captured

a hopeful essence, casting an optimistic light

on our future, showing what is possible or just

highlighting the beauty of our surroundings.

Other films casting shadows of despair or doubt

in humanity, but the combination of all films

prove that shadows cannot exist without light.

The festival itself was broken into smaller

subfestivals. The first sections told the story

of ‘Roots and Understories’. Patrick Horner

captures it with the words, “What can the

unseen lives of roots, moss, insects, and

elements teach culture about survival and

repair? Micro epics of soil, flora, and craft

with attentive focus on what is small, humble,

or buried, where regeneration begins.”

With the films of each section amassing to

a screening time of about one hour and a

quick break, the next section follows titled

‘Urban Entanglements and Dignity’. For this

section Patrick asks the question, “How

does poetic imagination reveal more than

human kinship and human dignity inside built,

contested places?”, specifically “Animals,

workers, artists, and communities sharing

city space with care, friction, and invention

in urban ecologies.” Next, the section

‘Language, Memory and Borders’ delivers the

question “How do poems carry culture across

borders, holding grief, identity, and collective

memory?” and then marking the end of the

festival, the section titled ‘Planetary and

Elemental Imaginaries’ with the caption “How

can poetry help us sense planetary time and

elemental change, ice, water, and heat, beyond

the human? Works that stretch scale from the

intimate to the geologic, with climate, ice, and

slow time reframed through imagination.”

The Festival in Copenhagen came to

a successful end this season, then it

continued internationally. Screenings of

the festival have branched out over the

Øresund to Malmö and over the ‘Pond’ to

Canada, more specifically Calgary. The live

screenings of the NATURE & CULTURE

International Poetry Film Festival took

place at STPLN in Malmö on the 1st of

November and at the Calgary Public

Library on the 5th of November. Learn

more about the festival and other Poetic

Phonotheque activities at

www.poeticphonotheque.com

Karlen Schwartz is

currently an intern at Red

Door Magazine & Gallery.

Originally from Berlin,

Germany, she is studying

history and journalism,

with the ambition of

breaching the realm of

culture journalism in the

future.



39

NEXT UP: Oslo, Norway!

The Poetic Phonotheque arrives to CAPPELENS FORSLAG!

We are pleased to announce that the

Poetic Phonotheque now has a home in

Oslo: Cappelens Forslag, the distinguished

independent bookshop at Bernt Ankers

gate 4, will serve as the Norwegian

headquarters of our expanding archive.

What better place for our phonotheque,

than a bookshop that announces itself

as the place for madmen, hermits,

heretics, dreamers, rebels and sceptics?

As part of this expansion, our bespoke

recording device — the FONOTEK — has

been installed in the shop. Visitors are invited

to lift the receiver, hear a short prompt, and

then record their own poem after the tone.

This installation represents a concrete

step in our commitment to extending the

reach of spoken poetry across borders

and communities... and to strengthen our

international network of, yes, worldthreaders

and rebels.

Cappelens Forslag is uniquely suited to

host this initiative. The bookshop has built a

reputation as a welcoming space for creative

ideas and non-traditional literary activity: its

programming includes readings, sound events,

and a carefully selected collection of both new

and second-hand books in multiple languages.

That spirit of openness aligns closely with the

mission of Red Door — to make poetry audible,

participatory, and alive. It is precisely the kind

of place where the Poetic Phonotheque’s

ambitions can flourish in Norway.



41

The FONOTEK device is designed for

accessibility and inclusivity. Any visitor

— whether a longtime poet or someone

who simply feels moved in the moment

to release a secret desire— can lift the

handset, listen to our invitation, and then

record their own poem, in any language.

Embedding our archive in a physical cultural

venue allows us to maintain a hybrid

model — digital reach informed by on-site,

human connections. Each contribution is

captured, archived, and linked to the broader

Phonotheque collection digitally, thereby

enriching the geographic and linguistic

diversity of our archive. The whole collection

travels internationally though listening

installations, exhibitions, festivals, and can also

be found online on our website. By placing the

device in Cappelens Forslag, we are creating

a portal through which Oslo’s poetry readers

and sound-interested visitors can participate

directly in this living, international archive.

Establishing a base in Oslo is also a strategic

move in our wider cultural programme, one

which we started in previous years through our

Red Thread initiative (a not-so-secret league of

publishers, translators, and cultural organizers)

by coordinating international exchanges and

events within our network and providing

independent support.. The partnership with

Cappelens Forslag provides a local hub for

events, recordings, and exchange, while also

linking to the global network of the Poetic

Phonotheque.

Pil Cappelen Smith and Andreas Cappelen,

childhood friends and co-founders of

Cappelens Forslag, have played central roles

in shaping both the bookstore’s character and

its publishing ambitions. Pil Cappelen Smith

acts as editor, art director, and publisher for

the shop’s in-house publishing arm, while

Andreas Cappelen supports the project as

co-owner and partner. Their combined vision

for Cappelens Forslag has always leaned

toward the unconventional: they favor wellcrafted,

surprising works over mainstream

commerciality, and have maintained

the bookstore as a space for literary

experimentation, sound events, and cultural

exchange.

Their most notable publishing project is

Cappelens Forslags Konversasjonsleksikon

(Conversational Lexicon), a highly idiosyncratic

anthology conceived as a “subjective

encyclopedia.” The first volume launched in

2014 after a crowdsourcing campaign raised

approximately NOK 400,000 (161 percent

of its goal), making it one of Norway’s most

successful crowdfunded book projects.

The book contains hundreds of entries from

more than 80 authors—writers, artists and

musicians—each offering playful, satirical, and

deeply personal definitions of words that resist

standard dictionary definitions.

In 2016, they followed up with

Konversasjonsleksikon Vol. II, another

crowdfunded volume that raised more

than NOK 418,000 from 389 backers. This

second volume broadened the community

of contributors to include international

figures such as Jarvis Cocker, George

Saunders, Michael Gira and others. The

book appeared in a limited edition of

handbound calfskin copies, with 1,100

numbered volumes printed on Scandiaquality

paper, and it has since been reissued

in several formats.

Beyond the main lexicon volumes, Pil

and Andreas have developed multiple

editions of their publications, including

softcover versions, library editions and

a two-volume leatherbound anniversary

set. Their dedication to craftsmanship,

particularly in binding and materials, and

their commitment to cultivating a diverse

network of contributors demonstrate

their belief that independent publishing

thrives when artistic ambition is paired with

sustainable, community-driven production.

The arrival of the Phonotheque at Cappelens

Forslag underscores our conviction that

poetry should remain material, audible,

and communal. We warmly invite residents

of Oslo, outskirts, fiends of poetry, book

collectors and visitors from further afield

to drop by the bookshop, engage with the

FONOTEK, and become part of our evolving

archive of recorded poetic expression.

Visit

www.cappelensforslag.no

to learn more.



43

NEW IN THE POETRY ARCHIVE

Sëida – Border/Bristle/Silk Austria/Italy

Poetry Film Silke Müller

Ink drawn animation of a poem in Ladin language.

„Sëida“ means border/bristle/silk. The poem describes

a moment of encounter in nature.

ArcadiA

Canada Poetry Film Mathieu Samaille

ArcadiA, whose title evokes the ancestral search

for the ideal place to live, is a poetic video tale about

the relationship with the territory and the quest for

a peaceful and harmonious world, an updated quest,

which distinguishes the point of view of the Human

from that of the Earth.

1+5+4 presents Vibrant by Blacqwildflower

United States Poetry Film Dev Thompson

In Vibrant, Blacqwildflowr weaves science, grief,

queerness, and Black boyhood into a stunning

meditation on love and survival. Beginning with the

phenomenon of a rainbow, she parallels its birth to

the possibility of raising a Black son who embodies

brightness, softness, and queerness.

A Stone With Moss (Original: Schtei Mit Moos)

Switzerland Poetry Film Jan Mühlethaler

An interdisciplinary project that combines the

arts of literature, music and film. The song,

written by Rolf Hermann and set to music by

Nadja Stoller, formed the starting point for an

artistic collaboration. The film brings together the

various art forms and appeals to a wide audience.

At the same time, the project shows how artistic

collaborations can create new forms of expression.”

Aviary United States Poetry Film Mary

Russell Aviary reimagines how extinct birds

might be resurrected to save humanity. Magical

realism, nature journaling and the alchemy of the

artist, are collaged and synergized, in this short

poetry feature.

Blame Poetry Film Emily Munro

A love poem at the end of the world, navigating an

ecological break-up.

Anabasis France Poetry Film Carine

Iriarte

In a prophetic cave, a woman gives voice to the

pneuma of the rock and releases words in an ancient

language* : a poetic incantation emerges and speaks

of two possessed beings, three pears, the eyes of

the dragon, nymphs singing, and burning water. The

sound of words and drops of water reveal then the

opening for the anabasis.

Broken Arabic United States Poetry

Film Amal Kassir

A poem for the diaspora child, who could never

grieve in the language of the homeland, but tries

anyway.

And The Wise Soil Smiles United States

Poetry Film Peter Whittenberger

“And The Wise Soil Smiles” explores the legacy of a

single stone, located on a walking trail in the desert

landscape. An absurdist, animated videopoem,

the stone stands as a constant witness to the

shared, historic engagement of the trail, repeatedly

traversed by a diverse cast of characters.

Cancer Alley United States Poetry Film

Pamela Falkenberg, Jack Cochran

Footage shot on location In Cancer Alley with

images of nature, especially cypress groves, which

are as fragile and as threatened as the Cancer

Alley communities. The visuals are accompanied

by a poem about what it is like to live in the small

towns near the Mississippi River, now dominated by

more than 200 chemical plants and oil refineries,

sometimes literally located in residents’ back yards.



45

CHMYZ Poetry Film/Short Film Kaja

Jabubowska (foal) is the story of a newborn foal

discovering the world for the first time. Close to

his mother yet driven by curiosity, he takes his first

steps into the landscape of bodies, sounds, and

colors. Every encounter — with other horses, with

people, with the herd — becomes an initiation into

presence. The mother’s protective distance collides

with the foal’s persistence, shaping a fragile tension

between fear and desire for belonging.

HOMME United Kingdom Poetry Film

Isabelle Pandora Byrne

A short poetry film about the crisis of masculinity

Eclogue: A Field Guide and Cure United States

Poetry Film Jean Coleman Marcelo

Hernandez Castillo performs his poem “Eclogue: A

Field Guide and Cure” in Los Angeles’ Griffith Park.

The poem is excerpted and adapted from a longer

poem of the same name exploring incarceration in

America, part of Haymarket Books’ groundbreaking

new anthology “Like a Hammer: Poets on Mass

Incarceration.”

epiphany Norway Poetry Film Michel

Pavlou

From the Madonna, the bereaved mother of God,

to Lilith, the rebel, hunted by men and their priests

and to the refugee of Gaza or Aleppo, the figure of

the veiled woman recalls various real or mythical

characters and situations.

Fish Story United States Poetry Film

Tova Beck-Friedman

An ekphrastic poetry video prompted by a storm

drain stamped with a cast iron fish — a discourse

between the natural environment and the manmade

one.

If It Existed In You (Hvis Det Eksisterede i Dig)

Portugal

António ´Forte

Led by the telluric voice of speaker joão Øbo, we

crossed tempests of wind in search of love.

Internal Shell of the Cuttlefish

Poetry Film Annie Goliath

Ireland

In the year 2054, marine ecologist Sophia

investigates a mysterious mass die-off of cuttlefish

along the coasts of England and Ireland, but is

unable to solve the crisis alone. Muireann performs

a shamanic ritual, entering an altered state to

communicate with the cuttlefish, uncovering a

deeper connection between the creature’s suffering

and the broader environmental impacts of climate

change.

It’s About Time United Kingdom Poetry

Film Kyle Florence Jones

Lyrical poem about the influence and development

of timepieces set to images and film footage from

London Science Museum and the Worshipful

Company of Clockmaker Collection and several

items from the Victoria & Albert Museum in London

Found Poetry: Trees Ukraine

Dmytro Bondarchuk

Poetry Film

A poem written by Joyce Kilmer was broken into

lines and hidden in films until it was found and

restored.

Journey to the Center of Sound Spain Poetry

Film Ginebra Raventos, Emilio Marx, Gomess,

Joan Lavandeira Guided by the Jules Verne

novel “Voyage au centre de la Terre”, four friends

set out to explore Snaefellsjökul Volcano in Iceland.

However, as they journey through the country

recording sounds, they find themselves having a

series of profound and transformative experiences

that exceed their original expectations.



47

Leaf Peeping/ Contemplando Hojas/ Blattgucken

Ireland Poetry Film Vince Breheny

Leaf Peeping

“The activity of traveling to view and photograph

the changing colors of the fall foliage.” Poet Merv

Nickleman, reads his new poem ‘Leaf Peeping’ to

the stunning leaf visuals he captured at Maynooth

University, County Kildare, Ireland.

Learning to Breathe Ireland

Poetry Film Jessamine O’Connor

Poetry film made in the West of Ireland about

the struggle for peace of mind in a world of

incomprehensible destruction.

Prayer of the Sea Germany Poetry Film

Martin Gerigk

A composer recounts a dream from his youth

that inspired the slow movement of his first

string quartet, Prayer of the Sea. The dream,

depicting a peaceful dissolution into the sea and

wind, symbolized his future death. Decades later,

rediscovering a drawing from the quartet’s premiere

- perfectly capturing the dream’s essence - revived

its emotions.

Pretty little Canada Poetry Film Wendy

Oberlander

Mushrooms: there, underfoot.

Lost Stream Canada Poetry Film Quinn

Kelly, Fiona Tinwei Lam

A short animated poetry video based on a poem

about a lost and hidden stream that was part of a

former network of waterways

PRIMORDIAL Greece Poetry Film

George Zorbas, Nana Papadaki

The film PRIMORDIAL establishes an inner dialogue

between poetry and a timeless landscape. Through

cinema, word and music the film reflects nature’ s

abandonment, spiritual emptiness and end times

through the eyes of a woman, who could be nature,

history, an idea or just a human being of our times.

Maji France, United States Poetry Film/

Animation jimi Hall

“Maji” is the Swahili word for water. Every day,

1000 children die because they do not have access

to clean and safe water. For many, the burden of

collecting water falls on the women and children

who daily collect the life sustaining fluid. Maji is a

testament to the beautiful bonds of family during a

crisis.

Sëida – Border/Bristle/Silk Austria/Italy Poetry

Film Silke Müller

Ink drawn animation of a poem in Ladin language.

„Sëida“ means border/bristle/silk. The poem

describes a moment of encounter in nature.

Neither Here, Nor There United Kingdom

Poetry Film Alex Harrison

Settler Trips Home United States

Film Alex Feliciano Mejia

Poetry

I spent a few days on the Isle of Mull, exploring,

talking to people and filming. I also wrote a short

poem while I was there, which I recorded on the

island, read by a lovely local woman. The man in the

film is Joe, the deputy harbour master in Tobermory.

Using 16mm images processed by hand with

eucalyptus homebrew, this cine-poem follows

a settler’s search for a colonial mansion now

overtaken by eucalyptus trees.



49

Sève (Sap) (Savia) France Poetry Film

Carine Iriarte

A woman wanders through Mediterranean spaces

charged with ancient memories. The spirit of

the place passes through her, bringing out the

anamnesis of her own body while she hybridizes

with natural elements. She then marries the

sacred tremor, by a falling or a rising, revealing her

immanent knowledge.

The Crow War United Kingdom Poetry

Film Kathleen Bryson

Teetering between nostalgia and an uneasy present

where all trees are being chopped down, HARD,

The Crow War is a poetic exploration of memory,

materiality and modern disconnection.

Some notes on oldgrowth specklebelly lichen

(Pseudocyphelloria rainierensis) transcription +

portal, tree licker, sparkling … Canada

Poetry Film Kim Trainor

Some notes on oldgrowth specklebelly lichen

(Pseudocyphellaria rainierensis)--transcription +

portal, tree licker, sparkling archive is a film about

lichen, symbiotic communities, old growth trees, and

the Fairy Creek protests on Vancouver Island.

The Last Cricket of the Season United Kingdom

Poetry Film Matthew Thompson

Sitting in a café by a fogged-up window, poet

Siobhan Campbell reads Eamonn Wall’s poem “The

Last Cricket of the Season,” reflecting on how

nature’s call brings one homeward.

Stories from my window Romania, United

Kingdom Poetry Film Marie Chiriac

Super short poetry film about one possible end

of the world and love... in a flood. Contemplative

perspective on what makes this world beautiful

and worth saving is love, as this realm being the

backdrop and anchor of a universal love story.

The Poplar Field United Kingdom Poetry

Film Tommy Creagh Actor Freddie Fox

performs William Cowper’s poem “The Poplar Field”

against the backdrop of London’s idyllic Crystal

Palace Park.

The Basin United States Poetry Film

Elisa Carlsen

The Basin is a short poetry film featuring road

footage, stills, music, and poetry about the author’s

life growing up queer in rural Nevada. Nearly the

entire state of Nevada lies within the geographic

boundaries of the Great Basin. The basin then

functions as a metaphor for both family and identity

that swells and recedes over time.

The Crow Is Barking Up A Storm Ireland, United

States Poetry Film Kimberly Reyes, Gary Boyd

A poetry film that uses a Corvid to illustrate the

human condition.

The Shadow of Paper Trees United States

Poetry Film Aida Daneshvar, Christopher

Dreisbach The Shadows of Paper Trees is an

experimental short film odyssey that illustrates,

interprets, and illuminates verses from “Panjereh”

(Window) by the late, legendary Iranian poet

Forough Farrokhzad (as read by Forough Saramolki).

Sometimes referred to as the Persian Sylvia Plath,

Farrokhzad often explores female desire, identity,

cultural critique, and political commentary in her

poems.

the north sings stillness New Zealand

Poetry Film Martin John Sercombe This AI

generated poetry film is a collaboration between

film maker Martin Sercombe and classical guitarist

Roland Chadwick. It is a portrait of a fictional land in

the Arctic Circle, inhabited by sea birds, polar bears

and arctic hares.



51

Voices of Water Denmark Poetry Film

Maria Sol Voices of Water is a poetic dance

documentary that emerged from an artistic

research project titled Hydro Communication, which

explored the hidden language of water — how it

transfers meaning across species and how humans

emotionally and physically experience aquatic

environments. Filmed in rural Denmark, where

stories of sacred water streams are still passed

down through generations, the project brought us

into dialogue with local artists, poets, musicians, and

knowledge keepers.

Wandering In Beauty United States

Poetry Film Nadia Bongo, Dylan Castagnette

Wandering in Beauty is an experimental short about

a woman who wanders in Prospect Park while she,

along with a few people and things encountered,

speaks about beauty. Because it partly informs her

ideas of beauty, the woman also confronts her past.

Welcome to the Tenderloin United States

Poetry Film Paul Ghusar “Welcome to the

Tenderloin” is a cinematic sestina, a poetry film that

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KOLKATA, THE CITY OF JOY

by Rathin Bhattacharjee

Towards the end of the 17th century, Job

Charnack of the East India Company, a British

trading company, literally laid the foundations

of a city by combining 3 villages, i.e., Gobindapur,

Sutanati and Kalikat on the bank of the river

Hooghly. That is how the city of Calcutta came

into being. The city (renamed Kolkata by the

present Government of Bengal in 2001) was

made the capital of Bengal by the British for

its strategic importance. Later on, the capital

was shifted to Delhi in 1911 to diplomatically

reduce the growing power of Calcutta during

the Indian Independence Movement. Delhi

may be the capital of India; Mumbai may be

the commercial capital of the country, but

when it concerns Culture, Art & Architecture

and Learning, very few metropolitan cities

in India can hold a candle to The City of Joy

(called so after the extremely popular book of

the famed French writer, Dominique Lappiere).

The city has grown in stature by leaps and

bounds over the years with the inclusion

of Salt Lake City in the North-eastern

part and New Town. Both Salt Lake and

New Town are places that can take one’s

breath away and compete with some of the

most modern places in Asia and Europe.

Calcutta has always been the cultural capital

of India. Many great men and minds have

hailed from this city. People like Swami

Vivekananda, the disciple of the great saint,

Ramakrishna Paramhansh; Rabindra Nath

Tagore, the first Asian to have won the Nobel

Prize for Literature in 1913; Jagadish Chandra

Bose, the great scientist; Mother Teresa, the

Nobel Peace Prize winner (1979) who adopted

Calcutta as her first home and founded

the Missionary of Charity; Satyajit Ray, the

Producer-Director-Filmmaker who changed

the cinematic landscape of the Indian Cinema

with his epoch-making film “Pather Panchali”;

both Amartya Sen and Abhijit Banerjee, Nobel

Laureates in Economics have hailed from this

imposing and intriguing city.


During the Indian Independence Movement,

many great leaders emerged from the city

and played a prominent part in the British

being ousted from India in 1947. Leaders like

Womesh Chandra Bonnerjee, Chittaranjan

Das, Arabind Ghosh, Subhash Chandra Bose,

just to name a few, made Kolkata their base

during the Freedom Struggle. In fact, Subhash

Bose, the founder of INA, became one of the

most popular and powerful leaders of India’s

Independence Movement and was made

the President of the Congress Party in 1938

and 1939 respectively. He belonged to the

extremist group of the Congress leaders as

opposed to the moderates like M.K.Gandhi.

Many historians and students of history believe

till date that Subhash Bose with his radically

different ideas from those of Mahatma Gandhi,

could have won independence for India much

earlier. He was the one to have captured the

imagination of the whole nation with his slogan

: Give me blood and I will give you freedom.

Freedom fighters like Masterda Surya Sen,

Kshudiram Bose have etched their names

in History with their courage and sacrifices

for the sake of the motherland. One of the

reasons why the capital was consequently

shifted from Calcutta to Delhi was the British

growing suspicious and tired of the political

activities being carried out in Calcutta.

The inhabitants of Calcutta have gone on to

make their marks in various fields within the

country as well as abroad. One of the best

names that comes to mind in this connection

is the name of Satyajit Ray, the first Indian

film-maker, writer, producer, director to

have won an Oscar. Ray’s trilogy ( i.e. Pather

Panchali, Apur Samsar and Aparajita) has been

hailed as a masterpiece of modern cinema.

If Calcutta was the cultural and political capital

of India when the British ruled over India, there

were other factors that went into making the

city what it has become over the years.

In religiosity and spirituality, the city stands

second to none. Some of the great saints of

Modern India were either born in Calcutta or its

suburbs. Saints like Ramakrishna Paramhansh,

his disciple, Swami Vivekananda, the founder

of Ramakrishna Mission (1897), the man who

endeared one and all at the Parliament of

Religions at Chicago in 1893 by beginning his

historic address to the Parliament with “My

dear sisters and brothers of America….” have

not only impacted Indian leaders and youths

but they also left their indelible footprints

on the shores of other nations as well.

In order to understand what makes Kolkata

so unique, one has to observe it from close

quarters. Monuments of great architectural

beauty and importance like the National

Museum, Victoria Memorial, The Writers’

Building etc. are reminiscent of the heydays

of the British Raj and a treat for the eyes.

Whereas recent additions to the city’s

architectural grandeur are no less imposing

- The Calcutta Metro, Birla Mandir, ITC Royal

Bengal etc. are marvels of modern times.

People, despite their busy lives, are

generally found to be religious-minded

and swarming holy places like the Kali

Temple at Dakshineswar, Birla Mandir, The

Kali Temple at Kalighat on a regular basis.

Street Foods like Phuchka, Momo, Egg Rolls

have become a part and parcel of the city life.

Street Addas are another important feature

of Kolkata. After a busy day, the inhabitants of

the city irrespective of their age, caste, creed

or religions will be found sitting in groups

discussing everything under the sun starting

with politics to the latest exploits or heroics

of Ronaldo or Messi, enjoying themselves

thoroughly in the process.

Kolkata is also known for its fondness for

Literature and the contributions of the Bengali

writers to the World of Literature. Talking about

the literary field, Kolkata has given some of the

best minds to the world. Keeping Tagore aside,

playwrights like Bankim Chatterjee, Michael

Madhusudan Dutt, Girish Chandra Ghosh are

just to name a few. The works of Great Poets

and Novelists like Sarat Chandra Chatterjee,

Balai Chand Mukherjee (popularly known as

Banaphul), Ashutosh Mukherjee, Asharpurna

Devi, Prabhabati Devi, Shirshendu Mukherjee,

Sanjeeb Chatterjee, Samaresh Bose have

been translated into many languages and

read by millions of readers the world over.

Celebrations of various festivals, both

national and international, with a lot of pomp

and gaiety, also make Kolkata the unique,

bustling, buzzing city that it is today. Be it the

Durga Puja (worship of Goddess Durga), the

greatest Hindu Festival; Diwali; the Festival of

Lights or Christmas, the Kolkatans celebrate

the occasions with a kind of zeal and fervor

unmatched anywhere else in the world!

I will try to familiarize you with some of these

aspects of Kolkata through the upcoming

issues to let you have an inkling into what

makes Kolkata, the City of Joy as Lappiere

called it in his award-winning novel with the

same name. I will also try to show you what

really makes Kolkata such a unique and torchbearing

city with special focus on its history,

landmark places, personalities and so on.

Till then, Happy Reading.


Rathin Bhattacharjee from Kolkata, India, graduated from

C.U. He joined BCSC (Bhutan Civil Service Commission)

as an English Teacher in 1990. Awarded His Majesty’s

Gold Medal (2018) for Lifetime Achievement in Teaching,

he has been published and anthologised extensively. His

novel, “The Damon in Doctor’s Disguise” on Web Novel

has won critical acclaim. His latest book “‘I Love You’ in

the ICU & 20 Other Stories” has been nominated for The

Legacy of The Literature Prize, 2025. He loves writing,

blogging, translating, critiquing and editing.


Red Door 40

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