果冻影院

Written during his work as Writer-in-Residence at聽, a project led by 果冻影院 Geography's聽Professor聽Fiddian-Qasmiyeh, Yousif's work joined other pieces of 'outstanding work of fiction, non-fiction or poetry that best evokes the spirit of place.'

At the award ceremony on Wednesday, 4th May, Professor Sandeep聽Parmer, Chair of the judging panel, praised the collection:

鈥淲riting from the thresholds of real and eternal, imagined displacements, Yousif M.聽Qasmiyeh鈥檚聽Writing the Camp聽is an unforgettable book of poems that meditates, with devastating imagery, on what it means to survive. No one who steps inside this book鈥檚 taut, wild and brilliant refiguring of poetic language will fail to be forever changed by its indictments of the refugee crisis.鈥�

On being shortlisted, Yousif said, 鈥淚n the refugee camp, the spirit of the place does not only belong to the camp itself but also, and always, to places that lie before and聽after聽the camp. It is a huge聽honour聽for聽Writing the Camp聽to be shortlisted for the 2022 RSL Ondaatje Prize and for refugees and their places, wherever they are, to be聽recognised in their own right.鈥�

聽and access more of Yousif M.聽Qasmiyeh鈥檚聽writing, including listening to him read his poetry, at聽.

The other shortlisted authors are: A.K. Blakemore, Lea Ypi, Elif Shak, Cal Flyn and聽Sathnam聽Sanghera.