Exhibition by children of Gaza for Mayo library

Westport Library is hosting a month-long exhibition of poems by the children of Gaza.

The exhibition will be launched at 12 noon on Saturday, February 15th, by Nick Bilbrough, the founder of the charity, The Hands Up Project, which has organised the event. The exhibition was previously held at Gort Library in Co Galway.

The Hands Up Project has published a book entitled 'Moon Tell Me Truth' and Nick will have copies of it for sale at the launch. 

“Wipe out that sadness and weave the dress of impossible from the tears” is the opening line of a poem written by 13-year-old Roaa Al-Masri from Gaza. Roaa’s work is one of a collection of poems written and illustrated by children from Palestine which will be on display in a unique and poignant exhibition.

Established by Nick Bilbrough in 2016, The Hands Up Project is a charity trust that - through its network of volunteers - connects children around the world with young people in Palestine. By means of online interaction, drama and storytelling activities, it enables the use of creativity and self-expression to promote mutual understanding, personal growth, and the development of English language skills.

In 2023, The Hands Up Project had a poetry competition, and out of that came the book, Moon Tell Me Truth, the work of many of the children. The foreword to the book is by Alice Oswald, Professor of Poetry at Oxford.

The poems and drawings in the exhibition and book are by children aged nine to 15.

Welcoming the exhibition’s arrival in Westport, Nick says he’s delighted to see the work of these remarkable children reaching wider audiences and is especially pleased to be able to share their poems with the people of Westport and Mayo.

All are welcome and encouraged to attend the launch or to call in and see the exhibition of work, which will run until March 14th.