To the women that I have not been

Book Review / 22 September 2026 The problem of having artists for parents 22 September 2026 ANDY HEDGECOCK enjoys a novel for adults (by a writer of children’s fiction) that examines the fatal impact of a parent’s literary imaginings

SYLVIA HIKINS applauds a magical stage revival of the famous 1980s film, Letter to Brezhnev

PAUL DONOVAN recommends an intriguing tale of abuse, bullying, revenge and long-held grudges

New releases from Biita Houdei, The Mary Wallopers, and The Tubs 

PETER MASON applauds the revival, 39 years later with the same team and cast, of Manfred Karge’s version of Brecht’s 100-year-old play, Mann Ist Mann

MotherI have not been lighthearted taking the kids to schoolWifeI have not been convinced we would hold hands in adversitiesYounger sisterI have not been enduring these societies of menAuntI have not been able to save you from a violent manMotherWifeYounger sisterAuntI carry in me the absence of youand it both pains me and gives me joy imagining what you and I could have doneOur dreams are dreamt vividlyWould they have come true?I see you allaround meWith meWithin meIt comes more easily, this image of a multitude of women,when dancing or making a cartwheelaround and around, turning upside downa woman with many others in her-selfIs it only me feeling them, sister,or you as well?

Leonora Masini is a researcher in colonial histories. Her poems have been published in From Here To There: 101 Poems on African and African Diasporic Migration (CivicLeicester, 2025).

Poetry submissions to [email protected]

Read more of the Morning Star’s 21st Century Poetry here