ABOUT THE ANTHOLOGY
to let the light in is a poetry anthology that gathers the voices of over 100 people from across the Asia Pacific to address one of humanity’s most universal experiences: the journey of life before death.
With 111 poems featured in 11 languages – each translated into English to reach as wide an audience as possible – the collection aims to provide a sense of comfort, connection, and catharsis for everyone involved in the palliative care journey.
WHAT IS PALLIATIVE CARE?
Palliative care provides medical, financial, and emotional support for individuals coping with serious illnesses. It aims to relieve pain and provide comfort beyond physical symptoms, focusing on improving quality of life for all palliative care patients.
WHY DOES THIS BOOK MATTER?
Although palliative care provides an invaluable service to those in need, it’s something that few are willing to discuss openly, making this particular journey a lonely experience for many. For those going through palliative care, knowing that others have gone through the same struggles can help to ease these feelings of loneliness and isolation, allowing them to feel connected through their shared experiences.
Reading poetry written by others who have walked the same path can also help patients & caregivers to find the fragile beauty in their journey, deepening their appreciation for both palliative care and each other. With this collection, we hope to provide a sense of recognition and relief for everyone who has walked alongside death - patients, caregivers, and healthcare workers alike.
OUR OPEN CALL
Over a six-month period in 2020, we received a total of 840 thought-provoking submissions from all across the Asia Pacific.
Submissions ranged from nostalgic poems about grandparents gently aging, to philosophical pieces attempting to make sense of mortality, to sobering poems written from the perspective of the dying patient. While half of the selected pieces are in English, the rest are spread out across the various languages of the region.
With submissions accepted in 15 languages from over 26 sectors, the final publication includes poems in English, Bahasa Indonesia, Bengali, Hindi, Japanese, Korean, Mandarin, Nepali, Tagalog, Thai and Vietnamese. Non-English poems were reproduced in their original language alongside an English translation, to ensure the anthology remains accessible to as many readers as possible. You may find an archive of all the non-shortlisted submissions here. To read the shortlisted pieces, you may make a donation to our book drive (linked below) to receive a copy of the book.
OUR BOOK DRIVE
This July, Sing Lit Station (SLS) and the Asia Pacific Hospice Palliative Care Network (APHN) are raising funds to distribute 1000 copies of this book to palliative & end-of-life patients, caregivers, and healthcare workers through selected hospitals and hospices across Singapore.
Your donation will help to put this book directly into the hands of our most vulnerable patients, providing comfort through their darkest days.
ABOUT OUR PARTNER
The Asia Pacific Hospice Palliative Care Network (APHN) is dedicated to promoting hospice and palliative care in Asia and the Pacific. Their purpose is to empower and support organisations and individuals committed to alleviating suffering from life-threatening illness.
The Network promotes education and skills development, enhances awareness and communication, and fosters research and collaboration.
SUPPORT OUR PROJECT
To make a corporate donation, please write to us at submission@athousandcranes.org. As Sing Lit Station is an Institution of Public Character (IPC), every donation is tax-deductible to 250% of its value.