Carry On POETRY BYYOUNG IMMIGRANTS Illustrated by Rogé Translated by Susan Ouriou OWLKIDS BOOKS
Preface For the past few years I have had the good fortune to run creative writing workshops for newcomers at a high school in Outremont Quebec As the students progressed written wonders began to take shape My friend Kim Thúy was so moved by their work that she put me in touch with the brilliant artist Rogé who painted the portraits that appear alongside various students poems in this book What you now hold in your hands is the fruit of those many encounters and the sum of much love Thank you and bravo to the students my migrant poets who know their way to the heart Simon Boulerice NOVELIST POE T AND CHILDREN S BOOK AUTHOR
This book is a collective embrace among people who have touched my forehead my eyes my cheek my shoulder my elbow my belly and above all the heart of the ten-year-old girl I used to be sitting at a desk in a new country that I would make my own In this collection you will find the beauty of which we humans are capable There were continents and oceans volcanoes and mountains tears and fears before the route to your heart became clear Quebec my dear treasure I would travel that same path wherever to wend my way to you find refuge beneath your roof in our nest so fair till noon I embrace you there till midnight I breathe in your air one night ten nights a thousand we share we have lost count Kim Thúy NOVELIST AND SHORT STORY WRITER
