VEILS HALOS & SHACKLES: International Poetry on the Oppression & Empowerment of Women - Softcover

"The poems, with tones ranging from painful to cynical to occasional dry wit do not preach, reduce or generalise. They exhibit an eclectic range of experience and thought, each specified by religion, region, time and culturally precise natures of patriarchy, making a subliminal argument that while gender injustice is a global and historical phenomenon, its experience is local and specific...The poems are graphic and painful: they grab by the throat, they resurrect demons, but they also redeem with the power of the word." Maithreyi Karnoor, The Hindu"

..".this anthology needs to be in the curriculum of colleges and universities, law enforcement academies, and women's shelters around the world. Wherever injustice, crimes of barbaric violence, or bestial cruelty occur, this anthology should be mandatory reading. I couldn't simply read it for review. The memories and experiences inside were shared so beautifully, ferociously, intensely that I had to savor every word...This anthology is not for the faint of heart. And yet, it is a book of hope and courage that has the power to bring out the best in all of us. These are powerful words by some of the best living writers and poets today. Veils, Halos & Shackles is a significant book of literary, cultural, and social excellence and highly recommended to mature readers everywhere." Laurel Johnson, Midwest Book Review Bookwatch"

"Most of the poems deal with responses to terrible violence. But there are also poems of strength and resilience. In some poems, women swallow the power of goddesses, demand to be seen, and are preserved. Some poems explore subtle, sinister violence that occurs stealthily inside homes and other places that are supposed to be safe...each line, each stanza, each poem gets trapped under your skin. The words on the page lodge inside your mind, raising relentless questions of why and how such violence can even occur. But this is an anthology that should be read and reread to spread the word that such violence does not and should not have a place in this world." Fehmida Zakeer, Bitch Media"

Poetry. Women's Studies. All over the world, girls and women are victims of violence, oppression, and discrimination. No country, no community, no religious or ethnic group is immune. Too often, women's voices are stifled, ignored, or trivialized – and as a result, other victims of abuse feel alone and unsupported.

VEILS, HALOS & SHACKLES, the first-ever anthology of international poetry specifically addressing the oppression and empowerment of women, includes 249 poems by poets from dozens of countries – from Brazil to Bangladesh, from New Zealand to Nigeria – many of them among the world's most accomplished living poets.

In addition to extraordinary poems, VEILS, HALOS & SHACKLES includes testimony by the poets explaining what moved them to address this subject in their work. This volume is an important and timely contribution to the cause of women's empowerment and freedom, speaking to a global audience and giving a voice to the millions whose outcries have been silenced.