Sing, Slivered Tongue: An Anthology of South Asian Women’s Poetry of Trauma in English

Sing, Slivered Tongue is a collection of poetry by women from South Asia writing on trauma.

The title of the volume is a reference to the ancient legend of Khona, a wise woman whose tongue was severed by her envious father-in-law.

The volume gathers together the voices and experiences of sixty-eight women from various South Asian communities, in an attempt to explore the subject of trauma through a gendered lens. Lopamudra Basu and Feroza Jussawalla, the volume’s editors, ensure that the preconceived notion of silence around women’s trauma is subverted, even as the verses they bring together explore the enduring sensations and experiences of trauma, loss, and grief from across South Asia.

Reviews

“As an eyewitness to Partition violence, I am happy to endorse this collection of trauma poems.  Women speaking on trauma needs to be given a voice, recognition, and exposure.” – Bapsi Sidhwa

“I was deeply moved by this wonderful collection of diasporic women’s voices, writing from the depths of their hearts, expressing truth and pain, but also resolution and triumph.  An inspiring and authentic anthology, well worth the readers’s time and attention.” – Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni