Marcel Weyland's translation of poetry and prose by Polish Jewish poet Wadysaw Szlengel is a landmark in Australian publishing. Nazi persecution of Polish Jews is tracked from before the war through to the horrific destruction of the Warsaw Ghetto. This is a poetry so necessary, so remarkable, that it is painful to read and experience. It should be. This is a traumatic documentation in poetry, one that impels us to consider who we are, and what our responsibilities to each other are. The final piece in the collection is a stunning and deeply disturbing piece of poetic prose that comes from the very edge of death, of murder, on murder.
