This collection of poems is the work of former refugee and journalist, Abdul Samad Haidari. The poems, grouped in five sections, give expression to the authors experiences of flight from war torn Afghanistan to Iran as a child of the oppressed Hazara ethnic group, and later boat travel to Indonesia where he remained as a stateless refugee without his family for almost a decade until being accepted in 2023 to live in Aotearoa New Zealand. The authors poetic voice bears witness to his pain, desperation, courage, resilience and capacity for hope. It forms part of a growing body of literature by long-term refugees who have turned to writing to reach out to the world community from their place of incarceration and to maintain their own sense of humanity and dignity. This is the authors second book. The first The Red Ribbon was published in Indonesia by Gramedia.
Abdul Samad Haidari was born in Dahmardah Village in Ghazni Province, Afghanistan. He is a poet, writer, teacher and journalist. He fled his home country at the age of seven and grew up wandering in Pakistan and Iran as a child refugee separated from his family for most of his childhood. After the collapse of the Taliban government, Abdul returned to Afghanistan thinking that the security situation had improved, and that he could take part in the reconstruction of his war-torn country. With this in mind, Abdul served as a freelance journalist and humanitarian aid-worker in areas of the country that remained dangerous to civilians because of the influence of terrorist groups. Abdul served with the Norwegian refugee council (NRC), ActionAid Afghanistan, Daily Outlook Afghanistan group of newspapers, and The Daily Afghanistan Express. As a journalist, Abdul wrote articles and editorials about on-the-ground realities, which were then circulated widely. These had a particular focus on women and childrens rights, corruption, transparency and accountability in government, warlords and terrorist groups actions and the systematic persecution of minority groups in both Afghanistan and Pakistan. Abdul was forced to flee Afghanistan for a third time on account of his journalism, his race and religious beliefs. He belongs to the minority Hazara ethnic tribe which has been under persecution for centuries. He fled and sought refuge in Indonesia where he lived as a ‘stateless’ refugee for nine years. Writing is his passion, and helping others his mission in life. He now lives and works in Wellington, New Zealand.
* The author has recently obtained a visa to live in Aotearoa/New Zealand where he has connected with the Iranian Kurdish former refugee, Behrouz Boochani. Together they are initiating literary and other events aiming to keep the plight of refugees still incarcerated in the public eye. The Unsent Condolences is the story, written in a series of poems, of one individual but also of so many persecuted and displaced people seeking refuge. It is also a moving glimpse into the Hazara culture and its history, with educational appeal to both adults and young adults alike.
* The Unsent Condolences is the second book of poetry by Haidari. The first was published in Indonesia by Gramedia in 2019 where it won an award. He can been seen reading his poems in a TED talk here: https://www.ted.com/talks/abdul_samad_i_am_but_more_than_a_refugee. His poetry has been published in Southerly Journal and elsewhere.
