I recently had the opportunity to be involved in a collaborative anthology where I submitted six previously unpublished poems. However, my involvement in the project didn't end there. If you noticed in the previous sentence, I used the term "collaborative anthology," which implies that everyone (give or take a few) contributed to the project beyond just submitting their poetry. I find this to be a unique approach, and if it works out, it will be a fulfilling adventure. I say "if it works out" because there still seem to be a few kinks that need ironing out.
For my part, I did the only thing I could think of—offering my services as a podcaster. I created a new podcast called Between the Covers and dedicated it to showcasing anthologies by interviewing the contributing authors. I didn't fully realize the scope of this endeavor until I had to coordinate across multiple time zones to ensure the interviews were completed. To get these interviews done, I had to talk to people in eight different countries, covering a multitude of time zones. Australia was the furthest from me, then over to Israel, then the UK, over to Canada, and the United States.
The book, titled "The World in Our Words," features twenty-four contributors, and for most of them, it's their first time being published. We had writers ranging in age from as young as sixteen to those in their seventies. It truly was an eclectic gathering of writers, which is part of the reason I think it clicked so well—like all the tumblers in a lock fitting together in just the right order to open the lock.
Another unique aspect of this anthology is that it offers poetry in both original languages and English translations. For example, there is poetry in Hebrew, Portuguese, Spanish, and Vietnamese. Some pieces are translated from these languages, while others are presented in their original form.
From its inception to the book launch on April 28th in Australia, six months had passed in steady progress. Though twenty-four people collaborated to make this book happen, it was truly spearheaded by Stephanie Rowe and her support team of Terrica Strudwick and Fianna McDonald. Important aspects such as typesetting were handled by Kyla Jay from Canada, while Amber Heigh designed the cover. Many others played roles in marketing and other critical tasks. It truly was a team effort.
Collectively, we are pleased with the end product, and we are confident that once you receive your copy, you will be too. You can order the book through:
Ingram Spark,
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