2016-02-03
This February the Refugee Rights Action Network WA (RRAN) and Writing Through Fences will be co-hosting the Perth book launch of Ravi's first collection of poems and drawings, entitled 'From Hell to Hell'.
Due to the harsh regime of secrecy surrounding Australia's immigration detention centres, it is rare to hear first-hand accounts from people who have survived years behind the fences.
It is particularly rare to hear stories from within the Australian-run offshore detention centres on Nauru and Manus Island.
What we do hear often comes from whistleblowers breaching contracts and deeds of confidentiality to speak out.
Rarely do we have the opportunity to hear from the people detained inside our centres.
Despite this, it is clear that there are countless voices longing to escape the fences that confine them.
Ravi is one man who is willing to speak out about what happened to him.
After travelling to Australia from Sri Lanka by boat, Ravi was detained in the Nauru Regional Processing Centre and Melbourne Immigration Transit Accommodation for over three years.
He is now living in the community and has published a collection of his poems written from within our detention centre system.
Ravi's poetry and drawings can be seen as forms of art - literature in and of themselves - however his work can too be perceived as an action of resistance.
Ravi has launched his book in Melbourne and Sydney and will return to Perth to launch his book on Friday, 5th February at 6.00pm.
He would like to invite you to both celebrate this achievement and gain a better understanding of the human impact of 'offshore processing' and indefinite detention.
Food will be available.
Event Date and Time: Friday, February 5, 2016 - 6:00pm Location / Address: The Centre for Stories (100 Aberdeen Street, Northbridge) States: WA