Radiant Wound Essai #3: My First In-person Book Launch & Poetry Workshop in Abidjan

My Joyful Book Launch: Finding Connection Through Poetry & Discovering my Ivoirian Daughterland

Welcome to Archipel, an ongoing dialogue between me (Cara Waterfall) and other poets and creatives of all kinds, celebrating the ways we connect through mentorship, community and transitions. If you are interested in participating, please send me an email by replying to this newsletter or click here.

Archipel was inspired by my very first poetry mentor, my father. When you purchase a subscription to this newsletter, you are paying into a scholarship fund in his name, which will support emerging poets.

I’m proud to tell you that the fund currently has $2, 313.32 USD! And we will be raising funds until September 1, 2025, which means we have another seven months before we award this fund to a deserving, emerging poet.

To learn more about The Donald E. Waterfall Scholarship Fund, click here.

Archipel (the French word for archipelago) embodies the idea of being separate yet interconnected. As a French-speaking Anglophone living in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire for the third time with a French partner and three children whose mother tongue is French, Archipel also explores my own experiences with the French language as well as the ways in which poetic language straddles the porous border between the real and the speculative.

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Introducing: Essais on Radiant Wound

Archipel will also include occasional reflections on transitions in my life, including my foray into new creative projects, including my Essais on Radiant Wound.

In this series of essays, I explore how my debut poetry collection Radiant Wound (Unsolicited Press, May 20, 2025) emerged from my experiences in Côte d'Ivoire. At its heart, this collection seeks to expand conversations around identity, belonging and the complexities of living between cultures. The French word “essai” means “trial” or “attempt” — a fitting description for reflections on writing poetry as an outsider.

Every poet's journey to publication is vastly different. I began writing these poems while studying at SFU’s The Writer's Studio in 2016. Through many iterations and the thoughtful feedback of diverse readers, the manuscript evolved into its final form. Ultimately, this poetry collection is a love letter to Côte d'Ivoire. I hope it serves as both a bridge and a mirror, illuminating paths across and between cultures.

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My First Book Launch Event!

Last Friday, I had my first in-person book launch at The American Space at l'Université Felix Houphouët-Boigny. Dr. Silue, the Director and Associate Professor, graciously agreed to host a poetry workshop and reading of my debut collection, Radiant Wound, on April 11, 2025.

Despite preparing 35 slides and anticipating a small turnout, the event exceeded my expectations. While we started with nine attendees, including my partner's surprise appearance, the audience grew to over 30 people by the second hour. What impressed me most wasn't just the numbers, but everyone’s genuine engagement.

The preparation was hectic with only two weeks' notice. However, everything came together beautifully thanks to the stunning visuals that graphic designer Mariana Bandeira produced. Our neighbourhood bakery, Patisserie Alham, created custom cupcakes…

…and my partner printed special postcards as marketing collateral.

One of the highlights was our Anti-Ode poetry activity, where participants wrote praise poems about things they dislike. We got creative gems like "Ode to the Mosquito" and "Ode to the Gbaka" (our local mini-buses). The session evolved into a vibrant cross-cultural dialogue, with students asking insightful questions about poetry and my writing about Côte d'Ivoire. One student even suggested starting an English Poetry Club - a perfect continuation to this journey that began the first time I set foot in Abidjan 13 years ago.

Lessons Learned

It is not an easy thing to launch a debut poetry book overseas in a language that is not the official language of the country that you not only live in, but wrote about. I learned some valuable lessons that I want to share with anyone who might be in a similar circumstance:

1. Don’t be shy about asking for help. The only reason I was able to have this event is because I took a leap of faith and reached out to the Director of the American Space, Dr. Silue. The worst thing he could have said was no, but the fact that he said yes has been a catalyst for all the things I care about: democratizing access to poetry and cross-cultural dialogue.

2. Be flexible with your preparation. Despite only having two weeks to prepare, I streamlined my list of essential elements to promotional materials, refreshments, and marketing collateral.

3. Manage your expectations: While I was prepared for low attendance, the event actually grew from 9 to 30 participants. The truth is I would have been happy either way: even one connection made is a success.

4. Focus on local partnerships. Working with local businesses (like Patisserie Alham for the cupcakes) and collaborating with local institutions (like the American Space) proved invaluable.

5. Adapting on the fly: Being willing to deviate from the planned presentation to engage in meaningful dialogue with students enhanced the event's impact

6. If you have a meaningful connection to a place, then share it: I had already written a book that demonstrated my personal connection to Côte d'Ivoire, but being able to articulate that to Ivoirians added another layer of depth to the invent.

Côte d'Ivoire as My Daughterland

When Dr. Silue asked about my connection to Côte d'Ivoire as my "daughterland," it introduced me to a beautiful new concept. Unlike "motherland" or "fatherland," which suggest ancestral ties, "daughterland" implies a newer, developing connection and a conscious bond to a place’s future. This resonates deeply with my experience here, where the blend of cultures, dialects and the inherent joie de vivre of Ivoirians is palpable in every interaction.

This poem map and the interactive poem map that Mariana created for me are my poetic geography — an intersection of both my physical and personal geographies. Through my poetry, I’m not only mapping locations, but also charting the emotional territories of living between cultures.

Remarkably, this launch fell on the fourth anniversary of my father's death. A former Canadian Foreign Service officer who became a teacher, he would have been proud to see me discover my own passion for teaching through poetry.

As always, thank you for reading!

With love and intention,

Cara

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