An island-based poet and writer will be reading from her latest collection of work at a public show next week.

Usha Kishore will be joined by a selection of local poets from the Isle of Man Poetry society at Noa Bakehouse, on Thursday, June 28, for an evening of original poetry recitation and music.

She will be reading material from her new book, Immigrant, which examines the journey undertaken by Indian immigrants to the UK in recent times, particularly the reasons why people were compelled to move from their homeland and what struggles and issues they were faced with when they entered a new and unfamiliar culture.

’The poems contained in my book, Immigration, traces the diasporic spaces of the first generation South Asian immigrant,’ said Usha.

’It looks at the culture, the language the history and the politics of these people who make up the South Asian diaspora in the UK and, also, in the Isle of Man.’

Usha herself moved to the UK in 1989 from her home in Kerala and, in 1991, moved to the Isle of Man, a place where she happily calls home.

She said that the themes running through the book are issues that she herself faced when she moved to England, and that they are still current today.

’The times covered are contemporary to today,’ she said.

’The poems in my book are based around anecdotal experience of what I have picked up, and they also touch on things I have personally experienced, such as assimilation into society and discrimination.

’They also tell a collective history of South Asians in the UK, their history their culture and what made them come to UK in the aftermath of colonisation.

’There are number of issues in the book that need to be addressed, like assimilation and discrimination, diversity.

’Migration is a bit of a hot topic at the moment, and I think that, while assimilation of people into society does happen, there are pockets of resistance and discrimination as well.’

Her book has been well received in the UK, with poems from it already featuring in many national poetry awards.

Usha will be joined by fellow poets Janet Lees, Jeff Garland, Fiona Gell, Jacqueline Morrey-Grace, James Penn, Liz Atzori and Bethany De Legh Runciman for the free evening at Noa Bakehouse, which takes place from 6.30pm.

There will also be live music from the folk musicians Paul Rogers and Scran, who feature the BBC Young Folk Musician of the year, Mera Royle.

’Immigrant’ was supported by Culture Vannin.