IMMORTAL: Mourning, Martyrs & Murals: an anthology.

 

This beautiful book arrived in the post this morning, which is dedicated to to  YPJ volunteer Anna Campbell  who was killed during the assault on Afrin  by Turkish forces  in March last year. It is also in memory of other international volunteers who have been killed fighting alongside the YPG.
In April 2017, Anna Campbell made the journey to Rojava the Kurdish region of Syria, to join the Kurdish struggle against fascism. She was inspired by the revolution because of the politics of direct democracy, feminism and environmentalism and fought with the YPJ (Women’s Protection Units), Women’s liberation, direct democracy and the environment are central to the Kurdish movement and echoed Anna’s own politics. Eleven months later in March 2018, she was killed alongside Sara Merdin and Serhilden by Turkish Forces while defending Afrin,  resisting the illegal invasion by the Turkish state which has cost hundreds of innocent lives. Their bodies were never recovered. Here is a link to a post I wrote at the time of her death. https://teifidancer-teifidancer.blogspot.com/2018/03/anna-campbell-death-of-freedom-fighter.html A year later, several hundred people protested and blocked roads Bristol in her memory and in solidarity with the progressive revolution in Rojava, northern Syria.

To commemorate the first year after Anna, Sara and Serhilden’s deaths,  IMMORTAL: Mourning, Martyrs & Murals: an anthology, is a powerful collection of prose, poetry, photos and art that is both a moving tribute to Anna and a message that speaks to anyone suffering from the grief of losing a friend or family member too early. Throughout the demo, the chant “Anna is with us. We fight on” rang through the crowd. And this sentiment is echoed throughout the book. One of the first pieces in the book states:
But we are here because we are determined to make sure that her legacy is one of taking action. It is not enough to believe in an ideal. Everyone is responsible for taking action. You have to build the world you want to live in and fight to defend it.
It concludes: The fire within her that moved her to go and fight has now been lit within all of us and while it burns she will live on with it.

The Following originally published by Freedom News.

Anna’s loved ones have collaborated on this project as a counter-move to the pervading media narrative. The book battles with the emotions and experiences of those trying to move forward through grief in the midst of media hysteria and political turmoil. It explores the anger, pain, and guilt faced by those left behind; and scrutinises the meaning of comradeship, friendship, and family.
Whilst instigated by comrades of Anna’s, this book includes texts and images relating to Haukur Hilmarsson. Haukur, an Icelandic revolutionary, was killed in Afrin just one month before Anna in February 2018. Opening the book out to contributions relating to Haukur intends to illustrate the connections beyond family and friendship found through the shared experience of traumatic bereavement; it’s about mutuality and commonality found in the threads of everyday struggle.

We will never forget those who struggled until the last moment to defend people, their land and their ideas

The publication was printed by Calverts Printers Cooperative, meaning each book is of a high quality and made from ethically sourced materials. Being a cooperative, the workers are paid a fair wage for their labour.
Buy IMMORTAL: Mourning, Martyrs & Murals: an anthology here.
Preview the project here.

They still need to make a lot of money back to cover their costs, so please support this  important book and help keep the fire of Anna Campbell alive, who ignited in us an inspiration for a better world for generations to come. We may be worlds apart, but its our responsibility to  keep fighting for human rights. The struggle continues! Support the Kurdistan Solidarity Campaign.