AN INTERVIEW WITH (UN)TOLD PAGES ABOUT THEIR NEW ANTHOLOGY “STRANGE TO SAY”
In the final days of autumn last year the two friends Maya Acharya and Elisabeth Bruun Gullach initiated Denmark’s very first pop-up bookshop and literature festival dedicated to BIPOC (black, indigenous, and people of color) authors. (Un)told Pages was born out of a desire to make more perspectives accessible and heard in a field dominated by white voices. In the wake of the new pandemic the two have now published the anthology Strange to Say, where 11 authors and one writing group explore the themes that come to light during these uncertain times.
If you flick through European bestseller lists you will most likely have a hard time finding works by BIPOC authors. In 2016 the british magazine The Bookseller concluded that out of 500 bestselling titles only 6 were written by black, asian or other minority ethnic writers. When certain positions are not represented in literature and art we are all missing out on diverse and insightful perspectives and for already marginalised people it’s close to impossible to find stories that resonate with their own lived experiences.
Maya Acharya and Elisabeth Bruun Gullach created (Un)told Pages as a way to celebrate the work of BIPOC authors and to make it easier for others to find the books that they were longing for growing up.
Maya Acharya and Elisabeth Bruun Gullach from (Un)told Pages. Photo: Aphinya Jatuparisakul.
Strange to Say
Quickly after the national lockdown in the beginning of March, Maya and Elisabeth decided to collect works from Copenhagen-based BIPOC authors and to gather it all in an anthology. The project was crowdfunded via Instagram (Mobilepay: 41346041), and already on the 3rd of April they published Strange to Say with 10 new audio pieces, which revolve around topics that have become even more urgent during this global disease.
There are deeply touching personal stories about Corona-related racism against Asian people (“Den ulækre asiat er en farlig racistisk myte”), narratives about child abuse and domestic violence (“VULKAN”), a testimony about xenophobic abuse (“En sang for Soufia”), writings exploring feelings of isolation and much more. All through the anthology real life experiences of violence, longing and hope is weaved together with atmospheric soundscapes and beautifully written poetry. Most of the pieces are in Danish, but the works by Yong Sun Gullach, Aaiún Nin and Waqas Elahi-Dar are in English and Wretched Kalbs’ is a mix between the two.
Below you can find our interview with Maya and Elisabeth, get to know (Un)told Pages a bit better, read their thoughts about publishing an anthology in the midst of these very uncertain times and find out what (else) they are reading during quarantine. We recommend everybody to dive into Strange to Say on (Un)told Pages’ website and to follow them on Instagram and Facebook for updates on their future projects.
STRANGE TO SAY
STRANGE TO SAY is an online audio anthology by BIPOC (Black Indigenous and People of Colour) writers in Copenhagen, DK. The anthology was created during the COVID-19 lockdown in Copenhagen in March, 2020.
These nine submissions (written by a total of 11 authors) deal with different themes surfacing during this pandemic – themes of isolation, racism, capitalism, intimacy, distance, violence, illness, community, sexual assault, longing, and hope.
These are strange times we find ourselves in, and over and over we are reminded of the importance of art in the face of uncertainty; we’re grateful for words that soothe, words that bear witness, words that illuminate and inspire. We hope you’ll find something here that speaks to you.
The writers who are part of the anthology are: Joan Rang, Zakiya Ajmi, Elias Sadaq, Aphinya Jatuparisakul, Laura Na, Yong Sun Gullach, Aaiún Nin, Sabitha Sofia Söderholm, Deniz Kiy, Waqas Elahi-Dar, & Wretched Kalbs Collective.
Hi Maya & Elisabeth, how did you get to know each other?
We met while studying at the University of Copenhagen back in 2016. We’re both mixed-race women, we’re friends, we’re nerds.
Why did you initiate (Un)told Pages?
When we met, we talked about how we both longed to see ourselves reflected in literature growing up. We were frustrated at the fact that it took until our mid-20s to find our way to the books we were craving and started questioning the structures that enabled that. That’s where (Un)told Pages came from. Our hope was to make it so that maybe others wouldn’t have to wait so long to find books that resonated with them, and also to celebrate all the amazing BIPOC (Black, Indigenous and People of Colour) authors out there. We want to create space for these writers to be both centered and fully present, not just as a token or as a representative of some minority role.
Tell us about Strange to Say – Why did you decide to publish a sound anthology during these uncertain times?
Strange to Say is a collection of audio pieces by BIPOC authors based in Copenhagen. The idea was first and foremost to give a platform to these writers to be able to generate some income in a time when many artists and freelancers are financially destabilised. Also to create an anthology that could speak to some of the thoughts and emotions surfacing during this pandemic. We think that art is massively important in times of uncertainty, and hope that Strange to Say will speak to those who give it a listen.
What can the listeners expect from Strange to Say?
They can expect some very different and touching pieces. The writers have interpreted the theme in a myriad of ways. Some musically, some experimenting with narrative voice, some are very heavy. They all moved us, and we think they work really beautifully as a collection.
Sunnah Khan, Sharan Hunjan, Sheena Patel & Roshni Goyate “4 Brown girls who write”. Photo: (Un)told Pages.
Inua Ellams “The half god of rainfall”. Photo: (Un)told Pages.
Ocean Vuong “On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous”. Photo: (Un)told Pages.
Maja Lee Langvad “Dage med galopperende hjertebanken”. Photo: (Un)told Pages.
Find more book recommendations here. Photo: (Un)told Pages.
During these times of quarantine, books can offer a great sense of reflection and maybe even escapism. What are you reading at the moment and can you give us a couple of book recommendations?
Eli: I’m reading “Sour Heart” by Jenny Zhang, which is as heartbreaking as it is amazing. Being Asian during Corona, I feel comforted reading about the racist experiences (and other themes) of Asian-American immigrants.
Maya: I’ve been reading mostly poetry lately. I find it’s easier to digest when I’m scattered and there’s something about the way poems tap into emotions that are hard to word. On my bedside table is “States of the Body Produced by Love” by Nisha Ramayya. She writes about big things like love and death and identity, using these ten mythological goddesses as an entrypoint, and idk, it’s just helping me think through some of the things going on right now.
Obviously our main recommendation is to check out the work of the 11 writers in the anthology. Several of them have published work already, and others have books coming out soon. Other than that we just generally encourage you to buy from and support your local BIPOC authors; we have a list of recommendations on our instagram, and if there’s anything specific you’re looking for, please just reach out to us!
Cover photo: Maya Acharya and Elisabeth Bruun Gullach from (Un)told Pages. Photo: Aphinya Jatuparisakul.
Rikke Luna Filipsen (f. 1988) og Matias B. Albæk (f. 1988) er kunstformidlere. De stiftede idoart.dk i 2011, og udover at bidrage med artikler, interviews og essays, fungerer de som mediets redaktører. De driver desuden formidlingsbureauet I DO ART Agency samt forlaget I DO ART Books.
