Velvel's Violin

Velvel's Violin is a deeply moving and political fifth collection by Jacqueline Saphra, exploring the shifting ground between past and present and calling for empathy and a warning to a world where the legacy of the Holocaust echoes current narratives of prejudice, war, displacement, and migration. Saphra's writing ranges through dark humor, lyrical beauty, and moments of transcendent joy to find assonance between the turbulence of now and a family history of fragmented stories, irreparable loss, and miraculous escapes.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 72 pages
Publication date: 06 July 2023
Publisher: Nine Arches Press

In her profoundly moving and politically charged fifth collection, Velvel's Violin, TS Eliot Prize-shortlisted poet Jacqueline Saphra takes us on a journey traversing the shifting terrain between past and present. Through its relentless pursuit of uncovering the hidden histories of the Jewish diaspora, the book serves as a poignant plea for empathy and a stark warning to a world where the echoes of the Holocaust continue to shape contemporary narratives of prejudice, war, displacement, and migration. Saphra's masterful writing skillfully weaves a tapestry of tones, ranging from dark humor to lyrical beauty and moments of transcendent joy, in search of resonant harmonies between the tumultuous present and a family history characterized by fragmented stories, irreparable loss, and miraculous escapes. Interwoven between each poem, forgotten songs, weeping forests, and buried violins, sound and silence converge to convey profound messages about love, absence, and survival. This collection is a testament to Saphra's exceptional talent for capturing the essence of human experience and illuminating the enduring power of resilience and hope.

ISBN-13: 9781913437749