The Refugee’s Tale: The Story of the Story

This essay explores the collaborative process of creating poem ‘The Refugee’s Tale’, which was initially read at a live event and subsequently published in first Refugee Tales anthology (Comma Press, 2016). It presents metatextual interviewing refugee to obtain their story, Tale’ itself, multifaceted aspects creative composition long poem. examines variety literary ethical challenges from perspective participating writer: imperative do justice politics movement as whole individual tale particular whilst concurrently attending aesthetics work; intersections differences between life writing fiction; decision utilize mnemonic properties European poetic form, heroic crown, tell North African woman; avoidance pornography pain; and, fundamentally, questions voice – generating it, giving lending silencing it. The author concludes that merits this process, pairing refugees with writers craft recite is most effective way capture public imagination enable those silenced voices be heard.