Fundraising for Amnesty International UK
 
Twenty-nine international creatives raise their pens, celebrating the power of protest. In the face of historical and current injustice, 'Demos Rising' elevates the collective voice of the people, striving for democracy and freedom of speech for all. 5% of profits go to Amnesty International. Poetry, stories and artwork: a powerful and poignant tribute to the pressing issues of our time from people that dare to strive for a better world. 
 
"Writers have always faced a problem of how to respond to political events. From World War One, to the Holocaust, 9/11 to the Arab Spring, regional conflicts to climate change. Fly on the Wall’s anthology ‘Demos Rising’ powerfully uses different forms - poetry, prose, images – from a diverse set of writers, to speak truth to power. Ranging from poems about extinction rebellion, violence against women, saving trees by living amongst them, and a piercing verbatim poem about channel crossings from various perspectives. This extends into stories of dehumanising migrant work and institutions such as ‘specialist units’ that prop up corrupt states. All of which is complemented by a set of striking images of demonstrations and forbidden love. This is an essential book for chaotic times. One that will make you angry, sad, but also fired up to take action in a world on fire. To go out there and join the demos, whether with pen or sword." - Peter Raynard, Poet
 
 
Samples;
 
“They Did Not Realize We Are Human Beings”
Jess Skyleson
 
-Maitha Jolet, a 61-year-old Marshallese who was one of the first 
to move to Dubuque, Iowa, after the U.S. dropped nuclear bombs 
on their Pacific Island home
 
Much easier to think it was God’s ink-stained hands
who signed that bargain, that it was his lips
blowing dry the words
on a promise that was never made
to a people
he did not intend to keep—
 
 
Round Black Grains
Kevin Doyle
 
At his wake, we talked about the time Justin nearly died, in the Glen trying to save the sand martins. Really, what was he thinking? The colony of birds had been living in the urban wilderness for as long as anyone could remember, their nests long tunnels burrowed into the sandy deposits left behind when the glaciers receded. A consortium, Skellig Developments, planned to build houses beside this ancient abode only to discover that the birds enjoyed protection under some obscure bylaw. They proposed a solution, a compromise it was called, to build the sand martins a new home, a short distance from where they had always lived. These units, concrete towers bristling with hollow plastic pipes, were superior to sand dunes apparently – studies had showed. They didn’t suffer from the damp; they were durable and they could even be painted to appear as if they were part of the surrounding terrain.
The city council was thrilled. Finding itself mired in an ethical dilemma of stupendous proportions – could progress run roughshod over these ancient dwellers? – they finally saw a way out. Voting to lift the injunction they accepted the generous offer from Skellig and a few days later the new towers were hauled into position.
That night a strange contraption also appeared in the Glen, blocking access to the site. It had three spindly legs intersecting four meters above the ground. Hanging from the apex of this structure was a tiny capsule not unlike a chair-o-plane seat. Sitting in this was Justin.
 
Extinction Rebellion, London Occupation April 2019
Leslie Tate
                                               
I remember
where we nested on trucks 
with our talons drilled into metal
as we sent up wild cries calling to our children, 
and they gathered, 
rising from their bedrooms 
and playgrounds and schoolrooms
to fold their wings around the wounds
and consecrated body of Earth our host.
 
Contributors:
 
Kathryn Slattery
Kevin Searle
Dipika Mummery 
Lara Frankena
Deborah Finding 
Craig Aitchison 
JP Seabright 
Hilary Watson 
Caitlin Kendall 
E. E. Rhodes 
Jess Skyleson 
Rod Whitworth 
A C Clarke 
Sarah O'Connor 
Claire HM 
Anne Caldwell 
Pratibha Castle 
Dipesh Pandya
Janet H Swinney 
Beth Brooke 
Zarah Alam 
Nasrin Parvaz
Kevin Doyle 
Colin Dardis
Rachel Swabey 
Barsa Ray 
Vivienne Fogel
Nigel Kent 
Leslie Tate