Sunder acknowledges the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples of this nation. We pay our respects to Elders past and present, and acknowledge the traditional owners of the lands on which we live, work and publish. We acknowledge their ongoing connection to land, seas, and sky. We acknowledge the Bunurong/Boon Wurrung peoples, on whose Country this issue of Sunder was created. Always was, always will be Aboriginal land.
More than a year ago, Sunder started as a hopeful plea thrown into the Twitter void, disguised as a joke. It started as a memory—of the joy of having a poem published, but also the struggles of fighting for space and accessible publishing options as a disabled writer.
My wish for Sunder was for it to be a home. To house the poems of d/Deaf, disabled, and chronically ill writers within its walls, welcoming them with open arms—in ways they want to, and choose to be welcomed.
I’m ecstatic that it’s now time to share GATHER with the world. We received a truly incredible amount of submissions for our inaugural issue; so many excellent poems that are a testament to our community’s talents. Not all of them could be included, but as Andy says, it gave us great joy to see the thriving hum of disabled poetry rippling through the nation.
So, we invite you to wander through the rooms of GATHER. These poems span all kinds of gathering and communing—with isolation, grief, nature, the self. Stay as long as you like.
My deepest thanks to Andy, Alex, Luke, and Maddie for their incredible editorial support and enthusiasm. To Caitlin McGregor, whose artwork brings the issue to life in ways I could never have imagined. To all our contributors and supporters, and to you, reader—thank you for going on this journey with us.
Most importantly, thank you to disability advocates who have gone before, and the disability community—for giving me the home I needed.
-Sarah Stivens
It’s been so moving, and invigorating, to read the submissions for this first issue of Sunder, and to be involved in selecting the poems to publish. The severe wisdom, the abundant love, the wild otherness of language on offer in them made me feel even more excited for the future of poetry in this country than I already was. Many very strong poems couldn’t find a home here, but I’ve no doubt they will elsewhere.
-Andy Jackson
Sunder’s first issue, GATHER, is a triumph in poetics. I know this sounds like a cliche, but everyone who submitted their poetry showed us something unique and exciting, and I genuinely want to see more from each of them. This calibre of work is a testament to the skills and perspectives of disabled, D/deaf and chronically ill writers, many of whom struggle to access mainstream publishing opportunities (especially paid ones). As a disabled poet myself, I know how hard it can be to have your work feel not just welcome, but celebrated in the world. It’s a joy and honour to contribute to a space committed to accessibility, and to sharing these vital voices.
-Alex Creece