Freedom: Short Stories Celebrating the Universal Declaration of Human Rights
Mainstream Publishing, £7.99
It is hard to pick a few of the many highlights from this extraordinary collection of short stories. Amnesty has commissioned an impressive list of contemporary writers and linked their stories with each article of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. There are a number of contributors that I might not have read had it not been for this clever fund-raising initiative. It is a delight to be introduced to the elegant prose, sly humour and adept characterisation of crime writer Walter Mosley. His story, The Trial, about neighbours in a rundown apartment block who take the law into their own hands and try a man accused of killing a drug dealer, offers a memorable interpretation of Article 7, “Equality before the law”.
Ariel Dorfman moved me to tears with Innocent Passage, a redemptive tale of one man’s flight into exile, inspired by Article 9, “No one shall be subjected to arbitrary arrest, detention or exile”. He effortlessly conjures up the atmosphere of fear and betrayal during Chile’s ruthless right-wing military takeover.
I was touched by extracts from Paulo Coelho’s diary when, as a young man, he was incarcerated by his parents in a psychiatric hospital. In the Prison of Repose is a poignant reminder of our right to freedom of expression, Article 19, and Coelho vividly expresses the departure of hope: “This page was going to be a kind of manifesto of rebellion. But now I’ve lost all will. I’m well and truly screwed. I’m finished, I won’t rebel again. I’m almost resigned.”
In March of the Dinosaurs Liana Badr deftly navigates Article 28, relating to international order, by her use of some startling imagery. Her narrator describes the arrival of armoured vehicles as “crazy, wild, metal animals” and sums up the dehumanisation of being trapped inside a house surrounded by tanks, “transforming us into mere creatures incarcerated in cages”. Another memorable creation is Sticko in Gabriella Ambrosio’s reflection on our right to freedom from torture. Haunted by the memory of his tormentors, he starts to resemble a stick insect in an attempt to banish his fears and shield himself from further cruelty.
Those stories that have been commissioned specifically for the project are the most successful. Part of this collection’s appeal is seeing the myriad ways in which the authors tackle their given subject. As someone who has worked in the field of human rights, I cannot think of a better and more enjoyable way to illuminate the simple but powerful message: human rights are universal.
Lucy Popescu
