Motherfield: Poems & Belarusian Protest Diary

In Motherfield, Julia Cimafiejeva explores the intersection of personal and political, ecological, and authoritarian contexts in Belarus. The book opens with a poet's diary documenting the violence following the 2020 presidential election, portraying the poet's struggle with fear, despair, and guilt. Despite her exile, she questions if she can truly escape the contaminated farmlands and the radiation of her motherland. This collection, translated by a team of co-translators and poets, is the first of Cimafiejeva's poetry in English.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 280 pages
Publication date: 16 December 2022
Publisher: Deep Vellum Publishing

A poetry collection that seamlessly weaves personal experiences with political and ecological themes, Motherfield emerges as a testament to the unwavering pursuit of self-determination in the context of authoritarian and patriarchal Belarus. Julia Cimafiejeva, born in a rural region of Belarus that was profoundly impacted by the Chernobyl disaster, embarks on a poetic journey that chronicles the escalating violence that unfolded in Belarus following the 2020 presidential election. Through her diary entries, the poet paints an intimate portrait of her personal struggles, encompassing fear, despair, and guilt, as she participates in protests, evades police, yearns for readership, grapples with the detention of loved ones, and ultimately makes the courageous decision to embrace life in exile.

Yet, the question remains: Can she truly escape the lingering contamination of her childhood and the impure Belarusian mother tongue that haunts her? Can she truly evade the radiation of her motherfield, the metaphorical embodiment of her past and present? This groundbreaking collection of Julia Cimafiejeva's poetry, meticulously curated by a team of co-translators and poets Valzhyna Mort and Hanif Abdurraqib, marks the inaugural English publication of her work. It offers a profound exploration of identity, resilience, and the enduring power of poetry to transcend boundaries and ignite change.

Dimension: 203 x 127 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781646052257