Literature in Exile. The Power of Voice in the ICORN Anthology 31.10.2025
During the Conrad Festival at Villa Decius, the first ICORN anthology was launched – a collection of works by writers and poets participating in the ICORN residency programme in Poland. The event demonstrated how literature can build bridges across borders and experiences of exile.
The importance of anthology: Literature in Exile
During the Conrad Festival, Villa Decius hosted the launch of the first ICORN anthology book, featuring the works of writers and poets in residence in Poland’s ICORN refuge cities. The discussion, led by Paweł Łyżwiński, introduced the audience to the works of Andrej Chadanowicz, Kholoud Charaf, Zulema Gutiérrez, and Javier L. Mora – all participants of the ICORN program in Poland. Each poet presented their work in the original language, followed by a Polish translation.
Why anthology?
Villa Decius has for many years published poetry and writings of dissident authors, providing space for stories that have been silenced. The anthology Literature in Exile brings together the works of both current and former ICORN residents, presenting them in a new light.
Anthologies are powerful tools of storytelling, as they allow us to draw connections and identify shared experiences. The testimony of each poet not only reveals political injustices that often remain untold, but – when presented together – creates a sense of universality. During the launch, despite differences in origin, culture, and political context, strong similarities emerged. As Mora later stated, “I felt as if I were Belarusian, or Druze. We all have the same problems, and totalitarian governments everywhere are just the same.”
Connection through culture
This fusion of poetry and art, combined with the authors’ personal stories, shows how situations in their home countries have shaped both their lives and their work. It reveals something profoundly important: through art, we can connect with writers from diverse backgrounds, even if we share few life experiences. Their work presents reality more vividly than news reports or newspaper articles ever could. It makes us care.
Strength in exile
The anthology highlights the diversity of exile experiences. Chadanowicz has spent many years outside his native Belarus, yet his connection to Belarusian culture and language remains strong. He has translated numerous poems and novels into Belarusian – a language that has been pushed close to extinction in Belarus. Reflecting on exile, he said: “The wisest people, when they see exile, see the meeting of the person and the world, which we must take advantage of. This is the optimistic part of the bitter truth.”
Although he acknowledged the difficulty of speaking out in such times, he also emphasised the importance of creating while in exile – so that, when return becomes possible, this period will have meaning. While the temptation to disconnect from one’s homeland and fall into nostalgia is strong, Chadanowicz encourages using the freedom found in Poland to bring people together.
Kholoud Charaf also spoke about the difficulty and importance of maintaining connections with home. She read a poem about the recent massacre of the Druze community in Syria. This experience created a renewed sense of belonging, even when she wished to forget. Charaf often contacts her community, especially children, reminding them that a world beyond war exists. “Many of them cannot believe there is life without war, because they were born into it.”
She compared exile to a tree in the desert: “it has beauty, but it is alone.” At the same time, she emphasised that exile can shape a new direction in life – every place adds something new to who we are.
Refuge in Poland
The testimonies of Javier Mora and Zulema Gutiérrez, as well as Mora’s text “Cuba Today: the history of evil as a form of the State,” shed light on how the Cuban state suppresses creativity. Due to Cuba’s isolation and limited internet access, such stories rarely reach international audiences.
Mora described the relief they felt upon arriving in Poland: “This is the first time we can breathe.” He spoke about the joy of being able to write again after years of silence. Following their involvement in the 2021 protests, both Mora and Gutiérrez were unable to continue their work in Cuba.
The ICORN program not only preserves the voices of those living under repression, but also allows them to thrive. Exile has given new creative life to the poets featured in the anthology. This publication highlights the importance of creating safe spaces that expose injustice and support artistic development.
Author: Poppy Simpson
During the Conrad Festival, Villa Decius hosted the launch of the first ICORN anthology book, featuring the works of writers and poets in residence in Poland’s ICORN refuge cities. The discussion, led by Paweł Łyżwiński, introduced the audience to the works of Andrej Chadanowicz, Kholoud Charaf, Zulema Gutiérrez, and Javier L. Mora – all participants of the ICORN program in Poland. Each poet presented their work in the original language, followed by a Polish translation.
Why anthology?
Villa Decius has for many years published poetry and writings of dissident authors, providing space for stories that have been silenced. The anthology Literature in Exile brings together the works of both current and former ICORN residents, presenting them in a new light.
Anthologies are powerful tools of storytelling, as they allow us to draw connections and identify shared experiences. The testimony of each poet not only reveals political injustices that often remain untold, but – when presented together – creates a sense of universality. During the launch, despite differences in origin, culture, and political context, strong similarities emerged. As Mora later stated, “I felt as if I were Belarusian, or Druze. We all have the same problems, and totalitarian governments everywhere are just the same.”
Connection through culture
This fusion of poetry and art, combined with the authors’ personal stories, shows how situations in their home countries have shaped both their lives and their work. It reveals something profoundly important: through art, we can connect with writers from diverse backgrounds, even if we share few life experiences. Their work presents reality more vividly than news reports or newspaper articles ever could. It makes us care.
Strength in exile
The anthology highlights the diversity of exile experiences. Chadanowicz has spent many years outside his native Belarus, yet his connection to Belarusian culture and language remains strong. He has translated numerous poems and novels into Belarusian – a language that has been pushed close to extinction in Belarus. Reflecting on exile, he said: “The wisest people, when they see exile, see the meeting of the person and the world, which we must take advantage of. This is the optimistic part of the bitter truth.”
Although he acknowledged the difficulty of speaking out in such times, he also emphasised the importance of creating while in exile – so that, when return becomes possible, this period will have meaning. While the temptation to disconnect from one’s homeland and fall into nostalgia is strong, Chadanowicz encourages using the freedom found in Poland to bring people together.
Kholoud Charaf also spoke about the difficulty and importance of maintaining connections with home. She read a poem about the recent massacre of the Druze community in Syria. This experience created a renewed sense of belonging, even when she wished to forget. Charaf often contacts her community, especially children, reminding them that a world beyond war exists. “Many of them cannot believe there is life without war, because they were born into it.”
She compared exile to a tree in the desert: “it has beauty, but it is alone.” At the same time, she emphasised that exile can shape a new direction in life – every place adds something new to who we are.
Refuge in Poland
The testimonies of Javier Mora and Zulema Gutiérrez, as well as Mora’s text “Cuba Today: the history of evil as a form of the State,” shed light on how the Cuban state suppresses creativity. Due to Cuba’s isolation and limited internet access, such stories rarely reach international audiences.
Mora described the relief they felt upon arriving in Poland: “This is the first time we can breathe.” He spoke about the joy of being able to write again after years of silence. Following their involvement in the 2021 protests, both Mora and Gutiérrez were unable to continue their work in Cuba.
The ICORN program not only preserves the voices of those living under repression, but also allows them to thrive. Exile has given new creative life to the poets featured in the anthology. This publication highlights the importance of creating safe spaces that expose injustice and support artistic development.
Author: Poppy Simpson