Förgätmigej // Forget-me-not: Poetry night with Carl Alexandersson

We love Stewed Rhubarb's poetry so a new pamphlet is always occasion for celebration - this time even more so for we welcome the phenomenally talented Carl Alexandersson back to the bookshop! And if that weren't enough to satisfy your appetite for verse we'll also have a performance from Z. K. Abraham.

But what of the poems we are celebrating? Förgätmigej // Forget-me-not is a pamphlet about loss and new beginnings.

Rooted in flowers and the Swedish language, these poems interweave the poet’s Swedish childhood with his current life in Scotland. Two narratives take shape: one of family and one of queer love.

The first explores grief following the loss of his mormor (maternal grandmother), as well as reflections on nature and identity from time spent with his farmor (paternal grandmother).

The second revolves around finding love again following a broken heart; around the beauty of ‘freshly cut grass on a slow morning, knowing there is so much left to grow into’. As these narratives overlap, the poems' speaker finds acceptance, understanding, love, and joy, as he learns how he fits into the world around him, how to live with grief, and how to begin again.

Our Poets:

Carl Alexandersson (he/him) is a queer spoken word poet and writer, based in Glasgow, hailing from Småland, Sweden. He was selected for the BBC Words First programme in 2021, Highly Commended for the Edwin Morgan Poetry Award 2022, and a runner-up for the Grierson Verse Prize 2022. His work has been published in Atrium Poetry, Ink Sweat & Tears, Impossible Archetype, Fly on the Wall Press Magazine, and more.

Z. K. Abraham (she/her) is a writer and psychiatrist. She completed a Master’s in Creative Writing with distinction from the University of Edinburgh. She has been published before in FANTASY Magazine, The Rumpus, Podcastle, Apparition Lit, and more. She can be found on Twitter @pegasusunder1 and zkabraham.com.