In 2023 we ran a sequence of sonnets entitled Strike Sonnet Chain in support of those involved in the widespread industrial disputes of that year (which are, of course, largely unresolved). The sequence was ably co-ordinated and edited by poet Jake Polley on behalf of New Boots and Pantisocracies. The resulting chain is now available to buy as a pamphlet from Whaleback City Press, with profits going to support the University and College Union strike fund.
2023 saw the continuation of the war in Ukraine and the horrific escalation of Arab-Israeli conflict in Palestine. Added to that we are witnessing air strikes on Yemen, civil war in Sudan, ongoing civil wars in Myanmar and insurgencies in North Africa, sabre-rattling in the Kremlin and threats to peace from the mouth of Presidential candidates in the USA – it isn’t a pretty picture. In response, we unveil a new sequence of sonnets on the theme of Peace, co-ordinated by poet Jacqueline Saphra. We will publish a new poem every fortnight culminating in a sequence of fourteen, with the final line of each sonnet forming the start of the next sonnet in the chain. These will be gathered into a second pamphlet, to be published later in 2024. We hope you enjoy the sequence as it unfolds.
new boots and pantisocracies 