Leitrim poet says his animal rights book will make readers face uncomfortable truths

Leitrim poet Gerry Boland has secured a US publishing deal for what he calls his most important book yet — a collection of poetry and photography on animal rights that has been five years in the making.

Boland, who has lived a vegan lifestyle and advocated for animal rights for more than four decades, said the project grew out of his deep conviction that words can inspire change. “The photos and the corresponding poems explore our complex relationships with animals and reflect my sadness, my anger, my frustration — but also my firm belief in a kinder, more compassionate world,” he explained.

The collection, due to be published in 2027 by Lantern Publishing & Media in New York, will feature 50 poems, each paired with a photograph from the acclaimed We Animals Media archive founded by Canadian photojournalist Jo-Anne McArthur.

One of the poems, Cargo, is written in response to an image of sheep crammed into a livestock truck: “We’re in the slipstream of your fear, a fear that fouls the wind tunnel of these high hedges shadowing mean northern roads. We shut the windows – the stench would turn a cast-iron gut; worse, the sleeping child will wake with questions we cannot answer.

Your journey has just begun, across endless motorways and seas that dip and rise to the camouflaged slaughterhouses of Casablanca, Cairo, Algiers, Gdansk. There will be the usual welcoming party as you stumble down the ramp, a greeting undreamed of as you grazed the soft meadows over dark northern bogs.”

Boland said he deliberately avoided the bloodiest or most graphic images, choosing instead photographs that might provoke reflection rather than revulsion. “People turn away if they hear something too gory. I don’t want to be banging the drum. I want to plant a seed, just gently pushing that little thing — that thin line between knowing something’s wrong and doing something about it.”

Some of the poems confront human complacency head-on. In We Were Busy, Boland writes: “We’re sorry the planet is on fire… but you can’t blame us for not wanting to give up our salami and our prosciutto, our pepperoni and our mozzarella.”

For Boland, this collection is the culmination of decades of advocacy and creativity. “It sounds grandiose, but this is probably my most important book,” he said. “It brings together my two big passions — poetry and animal rights.”

Lantern Publishing, a non-profit specialising in equality, justice and vegan titles, was the only publisher he wanted to approach. Because of their model, Boland has launched a GoFundMe campaign
to cover costs such as editing, typesetting and design. “This book represents years of work and a deep personal commitment,” he said. “I want it to reach as many readers as possible, and the support of the community will make that possible.”

Alongside the book, Boland will also lead a new series of creative writing workshops at the Dock arts centre in Carrick-on-Shannon this autumn. Titled First Draft to Final Draft, the programme will help writers take their own work from rough beginnings to a polished final draft. “It’s about showing people how to shape their ideas, refine their drafts, and build confidence in their writing voice,” he explained.

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