To End All War Anthology (2018)

I am very happy that one of my poems has been included in the anthology To End All Wars. The book is published by Puncher & Wattmann and edited by Dael Allison, Anna Couani, Kit Kelen, and Les Wicks with a launch at The Shop Gallery in Sydney – 3 pm, Saturday 27 October – 112 Glebe Point Road, Glebe.

‘To End All Wars’ was a phrase applied hopefully during ‘The Great War’. Its various permutations were meant to suggest that this one might be the last war of all. How quickly the phrase became ironic. How many wars have followed! The words ‘to end all wars’ must remind us today that all armed conflict is a vast social catastrophe. The centenary of the World War I Armistice comes with a barely veiled triumphalism in the countries that were victorious one hundred years ago. It was that triumphalism, and the failed peace that followed it, which led onto new catastrophes in World War II and then the Cold War. Now, well into the 21st century, with ever uglier nationalisms raising their heads everywhere, it is time to critically examine the Armistice of one hundred years ago, and its meaning for Australia and for the world, then and now.

This collection contains work from Australasia’s leading poets, some of whom have made a particular focus on conflict like Jennifer Maiden & Geoff Page. But a clear goal from the beginning was to have a truly diverse collection to fully give the flavor of our society as it is now and the impact conflict has on it. This was in part achieved by an open call for submissions which yielded a number of valuable surprises which would have been otherwise overlooked.

An Earshot programme based on the anthology will air on Radio National Mon 5th November 11 am on Radio National, repeated Sat 10th November 1.30pm.

https://puncherandwattmann.com/books/book/to-end-all-wars