For, In Your Tongue, I Cannot Fit: Encounters with Prison - Shilpa Gupta & Salil Tripathi (Editors)

A haunting, profoundly moving anthology that speaks truth to power. Discover a monumental collection of human resistance, courage, and the unyielding survival of the written word under the shadow of persecution.

Conceived in direct dialogue with internationally acclaimed contemporary artist Shilpa Gupta’s legendary multimedia sound installation, For, In Your Tongue, I Cannot Fit: Encounters with Prison brings together the brilliant, defiant voices of poets featured in the exhibit. Spanning centuries and crossing global borders, every writer preserved within these pages has faced censorship, confinement, or violent persecution purely for their words.The title itself draws visceral inspiration from a famous poem by the 14th-century Azerbaijani poet Nesimi, whose words echo across time to challenge the forces of silencing and control. Far more than a traditional anthology, this book offers a deeply immersive literary and visual experience. It seamlessly weaves striking illustrations, historical records, and poignant images alongside unforgettable written pieces.The culmination of an intense, global effort of collaboration and mutual support—often executed under extremely hostile and difficult conditions—this text establishes a profound network of solidarity across fractured nations. It stands as an essential, timeless testament to the power of community, global free speech, and the enduring truth that while a physical body can be caged, the spirit of a poem can never be contained.