Many people have been shocked by the scale of the famine in East Africa and many have contributed to the appeal for funds from Oxfam and others. But Devon poet, Susan Taylor, has gone a step further by publishing a collection of poems and photographs to raise funds for Oxfam’s East Africa Appeal.
Susan’s poems are inspired by Bridget McCrum’s hauntingly beautiful sculptures, photographs of which accompany many of the poems.
The book, titled All in the Space Between, is a limited edition of 100 copies and on sale from the Oxfam shop, Cornwall Street in Plymouth city centre, as well as in Oxfam Bookshop, Totnes and Epicentre Book Café, Paignton. Copies are also available from Susan’s website. All of the £5 price goes to the appeal.
Susan decided to republish this work after reciting some of her poems at the Oxfam Poetry Fest in Totnes back in July. A few people in the audience asked if the pamphlet was on sale. So she decided to reprint it herself at home and use high resolution images, so that the photos have the same weight as the poetry in this new improved volume.
Susan told the PRSD: “It’s a time consuming business, producing a high-quality illustrated and perfectly bound poetry pamphlet by hand at home. But my partner in poetry, Simon Williams and I, who run Paper Dart Press, decided that it was well worth the hassle to raise some funds for the Oxfam East Africa Appeal.
“There is so little on the news about the terrible drought in East Africa at present and it upsets me that the media is preoccupied with the European economy and showing very little news about what’s happening to the population in Kenya, Somalia and Ethiopia, who are in dire need of help from the West.”
Minda Bunce, Oxfam Bookshop manager in Totnes, said: “It’s wonderful that Susan has taken the time and effort to produce this little gem of a book. People in East Africa need our help now and every copy sold will help provide much needed food and water, shelter and medical supplies.”
• Go to Susan’s website to get your copy of All in the Space Between in aid of Oxfam East Africa Appeal.
