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To kick off Refugee Week 2026, we are delighted to host an evening of poetry readings from poets published by The Other Side of Hope.
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The Other Side of Hope is the UK’s only literary magazine edited by migrants and refugees platforming migrants’ and refugees’ writing – it is also the UK’s first Magazine of Sanctuary.
Feel free to eat your dinner or enjoy a glass of wine during this free online event.
Hosted by The Other Side of Hope editorial team, we will be joined by the following poets and writers:
1. Alberto Quero
Born in Venezuela and holds a BA in Literature and Linguistics, an MA in Literature, and a Doctorate in Humanities. He is a teacher of English, French and Spanish and the correspondent for Latin America at CKCU FM 93.1 in Ottawa. He has published six books of short stories, two books of poetry, numerous academic papers, and is winner of several literary awards. Alberto’s texts have been compiled in multiple anthologies.
2. Alice Motta
A physical theatre actor based in London, who explores themes of self-discovery, migration, body freedom, and sexuality. In 2023, she won a competition on Mental Health Awareness week and was published at the Poem Stellium website. She was also published in two anthologies in Brazil. For the second consecutive year, she will be a headliner at the Newham Poetry Festival and as a result, have her poems printed on their booklet.
3. Hanna Komar
A Belarusian poet, translator, and writer living in exile in London since 2021. She is a joint recipient of the 2021 Freedom of Speech Prize by the Norwegian Authors’ Union and an honorary member of English PEN. She has published five poetry collections, a prison memoir, and a play, reflecting on the Belarusian regime, exile, and healing. Her work has been presented at the Festival of Endangered Languages at the Barbican. She is currently completing a PhD exploring how poetry can help share Belarusian women’s experiences of domestic abuse and state violence. Website: https://www.hannakomar.com/eng
4. Maria Cohut
A Romanian writer living in Brighton, England. Her writing is haunted by questions of identity, belonging, displacement, and what makes us human. Her writing features in publications including the Borders & Belonging anthology (Cephalopress, 2022), The Hellebore, and The Madrid Review, and has aired on the radio. Her debut chapbook Spatter Pattern (back room poetry, 2023) explored gender-based violence through detective fiction tropes. Her debut collection Multiple Exposures (Flight of the Dragonfly, 2026) is a multi-layered meditation on heredity, multiculturalism, writing in an adopted language, and making sense of fractured identities. Follow her on Instagram @mariac_phd.
5. Polina Cosgrave
The author of two poetry collections, ‘My Name Is’ (Dedalus Press, 2020) and ‘Cargo’ (The Gallery Press, 2024), and numerous plays and short stories. She was described as one of the most fearless and exciting voices in contemporary Irish poetry by Adam Wyeth (Poetry Review Ireland). Her work has appeared on TV, radio and in many anthologies and magazines including the Forward Prizes Book of Poetry, Winter Papers, the Stinging Fly and the Irish Times. She has been a recipient of multiple Arts Council Awards.
6. Sali Bouda Oumarou
A Cameroonian independent scholar and journalist. He lives in Tangiers in northern Morocco, and uses literature to popularise the results of his research, which focuses on the media, migration and peace. He is regularly invited by various organisations to give lectures on his areas of interest.
7. Shamim Azad
A full time writer, is well- known in the UK as one of the best poets in Bengali. She has so far published nearly 40 books from various genres, out of which 13 are collections of poetry. Her poems appeared in various literary magazines including The New Yorker, USA. In 2023, Azad received Bangladesh’s highest literary award in poetry – the Bangla Academy Literary Award. She also received the UK’s National Lottery Award and the Poet-in-Residence at ‘A Poet’s Agora’, Athens.
8. Sirajul Islam
A poet, writer and human rights activist. He is a Rohingya, originally from Myanmar. In 2017, he fled to Bangladesh to seek refuge and escape the genocide carried out by the Myanmar military. He has internationally published two collections of poetry. Through poetry, he speaks truth to power, advocates for the rights of his people, strengthens the voice of his community, and brings the Rohingya plight on the global stage.
9. Sneha Subramanian Kanta
Born in Mumbai, Sneha is an academician, editor, and award-winning writer, and the sixth Poet Laureate for the City of Mississauga. She is the author of six chapbook collections, with recent publications from Harbour Editions and Broken Sleep Books. Her work appears in Magma, Wasafiri, and Gutter, and is anthologised internationally, including in The Penguin Book of Indian Poets. She is a founding editor of Parentheses Journal and has been supported by the Canada Council for the Arts, Ontario Arts Council, and the British Council, among others.
10. Snehal Amembal
A freelance writer and poet based in Surrey, UK, who writes about motherhood, memory, chronic illness, and the quiet drama of everyday life much like a Bollywood film, but with fewer costume changes and more laundry. Her work has appeared in anthologies and literary zines. She has authored four poetry books, including Magical Mundane, and a memoir, PapaMa’s Portrait. She also writes children’s picture books, sitcom scripts, and short stories determined to be discovered. She serves on the Editorial Board of Parkinson’s UK, worships cats, and believes humour helps her dance through life.
11. Sunayna Pal
A poet whose work graces the pages of numerous international journals, anthologies, museums, and poetry festivals, resonating with readers around the world. Her debut book, Refugees in Their Own Country (B&W Fountain) narrates the Partition of India through verse and illustration, and her second Please Go to the Park (Bottlecap Press), exploresself-discovery. She is the Director of The Poetry Academy and lives in Maryland. For deeper insight into her work and journey, please visit sunaynapal.com.
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