Kristiana Reed Reviews We Will Not Be Silenced

We Will Not Be Silenced is a collection of poetry, prose, essays, and art which shares the lived experience of sexual harassment and sexual assault. It has been pieced together and pioneered by four incredible, courageous women who, in telling their truth, have a raised a chorus of ninety-one other writers and artists. Austin, Daquin, Finch, and Ray have undoubtedly created more than a piece of art. They have blown wind into the sails of change and made a stand which has already altered the lives of many.

We Will Not be Silenced, as the title suggests, paves the way for silence to be shattered. Shame and stigma in society have taught a lesson of ‘stay quiet because no one will believe you’, for too long. The stories in this collection, although difficult to read at times, teach new lessons. Lessons about hope.Lessons about how you are not alone. Lessons about letting your shame fly away in the breeze even if you can still taste blood in your mouth. Lessons about the strength you can find in your scars. Lessons about women and men; about how this can happen to anyone; about how this is not your fault, never was and never will be.

As a piece of art raised from an eclectic collective, the work ebbs and flows with the gentle power of the current downstream; each piece moving the reader in familiar and unfamiliar ways. The editing is thoughtful and allows every writer space to breathe as an individual and yet remain part of the whole; the heart and soul of We Will Not Be Silenced. In fact, I would love to share my favourite pieces but I would end up quoting the whole book.

With Austin, Daquin, Finch, and Ray at the helm, We Will Not Be Silenced is truly something special; a landmark demonstrating how far we have come and how far we are yet to go, with loud, unbroken voices.

Kristiana Reed daydreams, people watches in coffee shops, teaches English and writes. She is a curator on Blood into Ink, a collective member of The Whisper and the Roar and blogs at My Screaming Twenties. She is 24 and is enjoying the journey which is finding her voice.