This year, 2019, is UNESCO Year of Indigenous Languages. We are very excited that Poems from the Edge of Extinction, edited by National Poetry Librarian Chris McCabe, has now been released. Two poems from the book have also been published in a series of postcards to celebrate National Poetry Day (Thu 03 Oct). These postcards have been produced by Forward Arts Foundation in partnership with Scottish Poetry Library and Literature Wales and focus on the theme of ‘truth’ poems in Manx, Cornish, Welsh, Scots, and Gaelic, alongside their English translations.

The poems are available from public and selected school libraries for free, and can be downloaded here.

The poems chosen include work by Anne Frater, William Soutar, Robert Corteen Carswell, Donald R. Rawe, Gruffudd Owen and Casia Wiliam.

Poems from the Edge of Extinction gathers together 50 poems in languages from around the world that have been identified as endangered. With poems by influential, award-winning poets such as US poet laureate Joy Harjo, Hawad, Valzhyna Mort, and Jackie Kay, this anthology offers a unique insight into both languages and poetry, taking the reader on an emotional, life-affirming journey into the culture of these beautiful languages.