Creative Writing - Featured Publications

‘My Damp Hair is a Crown - by Louise Adongo’

FEATURED In Assembly: Liberatory Words for Revolutionary Times

Assembly is an anthology of poems and prose to soothe and inspire. It is a calling in, an invitation to gather, a place to connect about ways in which we can live beautifully alongside one another, highlighting our shared humanity and the power of collective action and mutual care.

Bringing together diverse voices of dreamers, writers and change makers who lead with historically marginalized identities, this anthology embraces words that offer the reader hope, belonging, validation, inspiration and an experience of what can be accomplished when communities assemble. 

Creator Taraneh Erfan (she/her) is a first generation immigrant settler of Iranian ancestry living on unceeded lands of the Sķwxwú7mesh People. She has spent the last decade following the long lineage of poets and artists in her family, and leaning into the healing of the poetry her culture offers. She is the author of Conscious Grieving: the Path of Awakening Through Loss and founder of a newly established writing community, Turning Pages, which came about as the natural evolution of facilitating therapeutic writing groups for the past six years. The diverse community of writers who have participated in her groups were the inspiration behind the creation of this anthology.

Publication Date: November 2026

Mothering in Real Time (Poem by Louise Adongo)

FEATURED In Mother Becoming: Reflections and Scholarship on Matrescence

A collection of scholarly articles, essays and poems about the transition to motherhood, Mother Becoming explores the emerging concept of matrescence, the word used to describe the transition to motherhood.

Cultivating a better understanding of matrescence is imperative for the wellbeing of mothers. There is often little acknowledgement of this tremendously life-changing experience, and the vast majority of support proffered during this tender time is directed toward the wellbeing of the baby. But becoming a mother is rife with upheaval and disorientation, and mothers must renegotiate their identities, relationships and values while simultaneously contending with the immense learning curve of motherwork.

Through scholarship and storytelling alike, Mother Becoming unearths the multidimensional, kaleidoscopic nature of matrescence while also highlighting research, policy and practice recommendations to better support mothers. A collection of scholarly articles, essays and poems about the transition to motherhood.

Edited by Jessie Harrold, Demeter Press. 2025.

‘Move Over, COVID Grief has taken over’ Poem by Louise Adongo

FEATURED In African, Caribbean, and Black People’s Resilience During COVID-19

The COVID-19 pandemic has made transparent the insidiousness of institutional anti-Black racism and its impact on Black people globally. Research and statistics suggest that COVID-19 disproportionately affects African, Caribbean, and Black (ACB) people. This collection provides critical discussions on the complexities of resilience in Black communities. Specifically, it highlights the resilience of ACB people, aged 12 to 85 years from Nigeria, South Africa, Jamaica, England, Canada, and the United States, by showcasing their strengths, determination, courage, contribution, leadership, innovation, creativity, cooperation, and community involvement through the sharing of reflections, essays, stories, journals, artwork, and poetry.Regardless of their country of residence, many ACB people live in societies where structural racism shapes the social determinants of health, exposing them to risk factors that impact their health, education, employment, and other needs. The authors discuss structural barriers, gender, and sexual violence, health care, education, and institutional anti-Black racism candidly demonstrating their vulnerabilities and resilience.

Olasumbo Adelakun i, Jennifer Clarke, Delores V. Mullings Demeter Press, Oct 17, 2023