Many of the UK’s leading writers and poets have renewed their call to end indefinite immigration detention by participating in Refugee Tales 2016.
Organised by Gatwick Detainees Welfare Group and the University of Kent, Refugee Tales 2016 (3-8 July) will involve a five day walk (Monday to Friday) from Canterbury to Westminster, during which the participants will reflect on the long and perilous journeys that many refugees make fleeing war and persecution, and in seeking a safe place to live.
At every stop on the journey the writers will help tell the tales of refugees, asylum seekers and former immigration detainees, as well as the stories of those who work with them.
The walk will conclude with a special guest event at the Institute of Contemporary Arts (ICA) on The Mall in London on Friday 8 July (tickets will be available from the ICA nearer the time).
Confirmed participants include: Ali Smith (the project’s patron), Caroline Bergvall, Iain Sinclair, Rachel Holmes, Jackie Kay, Kamila Shamsie and Olivia Laing, with more to be announced.
In June 2015, the Refugee Tales project undertook an 80-mile nine-day walk from Dover to Crawley via Canterbury, following the route of the old Pilgrim’s Way. Central to the project, which was modelled on The Canterbury Tales, were readings and performances of tales connected with the refugee experience at each stop along the route. In each case the writer collaborated with the person whose tale was being told. Many of these were the tales of refugees, asylum seekers, detainees and ex-detainees themselves, presenting various stages of the migrant experience: The Arriver’s Tale, The Detainee’s Tale, The Appellant’s Tale and The Deportee’s Tale. These were accompanied by tales of people who work with and encounter refugees and asylum seekers in the UK: The Interpreter’s Tale, The Solicitor’s Tale, The Dependent’s Tale and The Lorry Driver’s Tale.
Professor David Herd, Head of the Kent School of English and co-organiser of the project said: ‘Since Refugee Tales started last year the debate around human movement has fluctuated dramatically, as pressure for a change of policy on indefinite detention has continued to build. It is a cruel and debilitating practice that continues to do untold damage to tens of thousands of lives. This year, from Canterbury to Westminster, Refugee Tales will call again for indefinite detention to end.’
Further information on Refugee Tales 2016 and how to get involved is available here.
Further information on the 2016 route is available here.
Further information on indefinite detention is available here.