We are thrilled that Romalyn Ante’s poetry collection ANTIEMETIC FOR HOMESICKNESS has been shortlisted for the Jhalak Prize 2021. Also shortlisted are Inferno by Catherine Cho, My Darling from the Lions by Rachel Long, The First Woman by Jennifer Nansubuga Makumbi, Are We Home Yet by Katy Massey, and Rainbow Milk by Paul Mendez.
First awarded in 2017, the Jhalak Prize exists to celebrate writers of colour and accepts entries from British or British-resident writers of colour in any genre. Past winners are Jacob Ross, Reni Eddo-Lodge, Guy Gunaratne and Johny Pitts. The winner will be revealed on 25th May.
ANTIEMETIC FOR HOMESICKNESS was published by Chatto & Windus in 2020. It was also longlisted for the Dylan Thomas Prize earlier this year.
The poems in Romalyn Ante's luminous debut build a bridge between two worlds: journeying from the country 'na nagluwal sa 'yo' – that gave birth to you – to a new life in the United Kingdom.
Steeped in the richness of Filipino folklore, and studded with Tagalog, these poems speak of the ache of assimilation and the complexities of belonging, telling the stories of generations of migrants who find exile through employment - through the voices of the mothers who leave and the children who are left behind.
With dazzling formal dexterity and emotional resonance, this expansive debut offers a unique perspective on family, colonialism, homeland and heritage: from the countries we carry with us, to the places we call home.
‘Captivating . . . playful . . . moving, witty and agile . . . These poems have a tended quality, as though Ante's kindness as a nurse extended to them. She is an unforced poet with a lightness of touch and fortitude, not neglecting to see her situation within a wider cultural and historical context’ – Observer Poetry Book of the Month
‘Ante's poems are like embers, pared back to a slow-burning emotional core whose intensity she sustains elegantly throughout the collection’ – Times Literary Supplement
Romalyn Ante grew up in the Philippines until she migrated to the UK when she was 16 years old. She is a West Midland-based poet and co-founding editor of harana poetry. She is also a poetry editor at Ambit magazine. Her debut pamphlet, Rice & Rain (V Press), received the 2018 Saboteur Award for Best Poetry Pamphlet. Apart from being a writer, she also works full-time as a specialist nurse practitioner. She is working on a memoir.
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