Sicilian Haiku – Migrant Shadows, by Freddie Omm

This September, Sicilian Haiku – Migrant Shadows will be published by Mad Bear Books.

It’s the first part of a humanitarian project: all profits will go to migrant charities.

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A collection of poems, mostly haiku, that you can read separately or as one narrative, the book weaves through mythical and modern Sicily, with the timeless global theme of migrants at its heart.

Powerful and passionate, the book evokes the atmosphere and experience of modern Sicily, at the frontline of the unfolding tragedy of the migrancy crisis, and dives into the parallels with ancient mythology, more recent history and literature.

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The print book will be launched on 19 September, the ebook can already be pre-ordered now: Pre-order the ebook on Amazon here. For those interested in reviewing the book, interviewing Freddie Omm, or other enquiries, please contact publicist Ben Cameron on (+44) (0) 7903 951 957 for advance reading copies and scheduling.

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Exclusive NFTs (of the book and related artworks) will be marketed soon, in such a way as to give everyone the opportunity to own and participate in the project and to contribute to helping migrants.

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More about Sicilian Haiku – Migrant Shadows: Written mostly in haiku chains, its narrative shape is not unlike that of a novel, and it can be read like one. The poems fuse modern and mythological stories, probing a world of fractured selves, memes and monsters. A passionate call to action, the book probes our private and public odysseys, how we share and define ourselves, how we give value to our own lives, the lives of others, and our planet. Set in Sicily, it’s a mix of many stories—migrants meet tourists, junkies and cannibals, while gods and goddesses mate with mortals, and it’s hard to separate consumers from the consumed. Photographs of Sicily by Freddie Oomkens intersperse the text and visually highlight its themes.

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Sicilian Haiku – Migrant Shadows is the first in an extended series of multi-genre books, The Dark Gospel. The next–a thriller, The Trashman – will be published in 2025.