Suicide: A collection of poetry and short prose from writers around the world on the themes of suicide and self-harm

by Robin Barratt

"There's still so much silence and underlying stigma that surrounds suicide and self-harm. Thank you for being so brave, where others, I think, are too afraid to even voice the words self-harm and suicide." Suicide – Vol.1 It is undeniable that putting thoughts, feelings and emotions into words, on paper, either with poetry or in a short story format, can be both therapeutic and an incredibly effective method of self-help and healing. In this brave and uncompromising collection - which also includes a number of personal interviews - forty-eight writers and poets in countries around the world Australia, Bangladesh, Bahrain, Benin, Brazil, England, Germany, India, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Malawi, Malta, New Zealand, Nigeria, Pakistan, Scotland, South Africa, Switzerland and the USA , creatively explore the themes of suicide and self-harm, either from their own personal perspectives and experiences, or from the experiences of friends, family and people close by. An anthology on these subjects is undoubtedly thought-provoking and emotional, but also positive and uplifting too as, for many, putting their feelings into words has set many on the road to creativity, healing and ultimately recovery. Suicide – Vol.2 - A collection of poetry, short prose, interviews and personal stories from around the world on the themes of suicide and self-harm will be available in the spring of 2023.

Genres: Poetry

234 pages, Paperback

Published June 18, 2019

Reviews

[Laila Smallacombe · Rating 5 out of 5]

Probably one of the most relatable poetry I have read. It does bash the idea of inspiration and feeling good or make you feel broken with being suicidal and it somewhat normalises the topic to the extent. It includes interviews with the different authors; however in one of the interviews I didn't particularly agree with the way that the person interviewed said something. "Suicide is a very selfish act that affects many around you." He wrote about someone else being suicidal if I remember correctly and I felt as though he made the topic of suicide 'selfish' ignoring the fact that when you are HURTING so bad it makes it physically difficult and mentally hard to survive. So I wasn't exactly agreeable on the wording of that statement as those who haven't been suicidal themselves aren't always aware of the side effects. The poetry was beautifully written. Although I wouldn't recommend to those who are struggling in this particular moment. Perhaps it might help you. I can't stop you.

[Anastasia MacKenzie · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5