On 13 September, English PEN launched ‘Poems for Pussy Riot‘ in support of three members of the Russian punk band – Nadezhda Tolokonnikova, Maria Alyokhina and Yekaterina Samutsevich – who are currently serving a two year prison sentence.
In the weeks leading up to their appeal hearing on 1 October, we are posting daily tributes to the band, in the form of some extraordinary poems and images. An ebook collection of the poems, ‘Catechism: Poems for Pussy Riot’, edited by Mark Burnhope, Sarah Crewe and Sophie Mayer, will be published on 1 October to coincide with the appeal hearing. Several contributors to the project will also be reading their work as part of a peaceful protest outside the Russian Embassy in London, 11- 1pm – one of many protests due to take place across the globe.
The next contribution comes from Deborah Levy.
Pussy Riot – let’s just tell it how it is:
You are female artists who sang a song that frightened angry men with
their backs to the wall.
We all know they stamped on you because they are living in the last
days of old power.
We all know that bullying young women is not the way to run the world.
The cat is out of the bag!
FREE PUSSY RIOT TODAY!
Poems for Pussy Riot posts
Poems for Pussy Riot – an introduction to the project
Soutien-Gorge: Ira Lightman
Vagina: Sophie Mayer
Song: Ali Smith
Abridged and Complete Biography of Olympe de Gouge: Claire Trévien
Women of the Year: Betty Doyle
Weapons of Minor Destruction: Sandra Alland
Our Glorious Leader Putin: Jack Underwood
Cat Power: Amy Key
Avoid using the word “pussy”: Charlotte Geater
Poem with Four Vaginal Walls: Mark Burnhope
Sheela na gig (deconstructed): Sarah Crewe
Dance of the Seven Veils: Alison Croggon
Skylined: Gareth Evans
Vox Populi (A poem for voices): Steve Heighton
The Eye of the Needle: Aoife Mannix
Ne (No): Wayne Burrows
Vaginaland: Jen Campbell
We Jew women: Translated by Marek Kazmierski
Thirst: John Siddique
Elegy in Red: Chris Emslie
Theatre: Fathieh Saudi
Three Sisters: Tim Dooley
Some Protest Stones: Sarah Hesketh
Please welcome to the stage: Alex MacDonald
Because The Poets Know: Tony Walsh
Pussy Riot Rap: Ana Pulteney
Fine Line: Red of the Vaginellas
The Blackbird: Adam Horowitz
The Queendom of Revolution: Sally McAlister
Russian Songs: Sascha Aurora Akhtar
Strange: Karen Press
Pussy got the… : Amy Ekins