The first iteration of Beyond Literature Borders is now complete. Five UK-based organisations were each awarded a £7000 grant from the British Council and Speaking Volumes to realise new literature projects with international partners. The Black British Book Festival, Forty-Four Words, Komet Kashakeel, Poetry Wales and Saqi Books created and delivered projects with artists and organisations in Jamaica, Ghana, Egypt, Zimbabwe and Palestine respectively. Some of the achievements were:
An Arab language flash fiction competition received 900 entries for Read Aloud Across Borders
a community of 24 young poets in Jamaica and the UK were mentored and tutored for Fi Wi TIme
42 events were hosted in the UK, Palestine, the US and across Europe for Publishing Palestine
International and UK artists collaborated to create new work for Ling Di Long and Reimagining Ghana
Six publications were published or are forthcoming from all of the projects.
Read some more in-depth outcomes from the five projects below.
Black British Book Festival with the Jamaica Book Festival
Fi Wi Time: A New Generation Speaks
This partnership engaged 24 young people from both countries in six weeks of writing development workshops. Led by artists in the Caribbean and the UK, the students received expert guidance in crafting new pieces whilst receiving individual editorial feedback on their writing.
Designed to empower marginalised young writers aged 18-30, this collaborative writing programme took place online. Aiming to tackle the hurdles faced by emerging Black voices, it created a supportive, nurturing community which culminated in the publication of an anthology, showcasing the diverse perspectives and collective experiences of these talented writers.
Forty-Four Words with Isshaq Ismail
Reimagining Ghana
A UK-Ghana collaboration centred on Paul Strand’s book Ghana: An African Portrait, Amanda Boachie (founder, Forty-Four Words) was able to travel to Ghana to work directly with visual artist Isshaq Ismail, engaging with artists and the public in their workshops. Events were presented on the concept of Reimagining Ghana at the V&A Museum and Somerset House in London and new work by UK and Ghanaian artists were commissioned. The collaboration continues and new publication based on these explorations will be forthcoming.
كومة كشاكيل│Komet Kashakeel with ArabLit
Read Aloud Across Borders
Together they ran an Arabic flash fiction competition with 900 entries from across South West Asia and North Africa and the Arabic speaking diaspora. The stories of the 15 finalists were published in the dual language anthology Slender Thorns, in Arabic and English translation. The book was launched at an event at the 2025 Rabat Book Fair, Morocco, with author Karima Ahdad.
The stories of the three selected winners, Karima Ahdad, Nasser Rabah and Azza Abulnawar, were soundscaped as flash fiction podcast episodes, recorded in both Arabic and English.
Poetry Wales with Peggie Shangwa
Ling Di Long, Mufambi
Together, Poetry Wales and Peggie Shangwa identified and paired five Zimbabwean and five Welsh poets. Together they created new work and co-translated it into each other’s languages. The results will be published as a chapbook from Poetry Wales Press (Seren Books) and a special edition of Poetry Wales magazine in November 2025.
Saqi Books with the Jerusalem Educational Bookshop
Publishing Palestine
Publishing Palestine is a project of literary intercultural exchange between the UK and Palestine. Palestinian bookseller Mahmoud Muna, visited the UK, taking part in a public salon and industry roundtable. There were a further 40 events across the UK, Europe, North America and Palestine. The project celebrated Palestinian writers and the region’s literary legacy and strengthen the cultural landscape in Palestine.
Saqi produced Publishing from the Frontline, a white paper designed to create and share best practice for publishers working with writers from areas of conflict.
