David Sunderland
Creative
A deluge of wonders (2023)
A deluge of wonders, my second poetry anthology, contains two extended reflections: on migration (in space and time and more), and the pervasive influence of computer and mobile technology on our lives. Among further existential musings on life and the universe, a third major theme considers the conversations that we have with others and ourselves.
Find some extracts in my Blog.
The business of dreams (2021)
Vanessa Jiminez Gabb, poet, comments:
"the freedom and range of tone – the whimsical, the reverent/irreverent, the deeply meditative and the extemporaneous – and the subjects with which the manuscript is preoccupied: love and existence, the urgency of the sociopolitical, the way the global informs the intimate. The collection feels both contemporary and enduring, much of which is owed to the astute observations of our world and how the author has moved through it, making magic of the mundane, as well as the fun had with / the possibilities explored through the constraint of rhyme.”
A novel : Angeland (2019)
Meet Tony, an ordinary man on an ordinary flight. Well... Not quite.
When his plane is hijacked, Tony swallows an archangel’s eyelash. Now part-angel, he enters Angeland. Passing through Heaven and the Realm of the White Mountain, he embarks on an incredible adventure. But Tony is never far from earthly influences.
To avoid disaster on an epic scale, seven archangels assemble at their Council. Together they try a variety of ideas to remove the eyelash, but will any prove a success?
Order hard copies
Satirical plays
Working in bureaucracies provides bountiful material for satire, normally coupled with a supply of colleagues willing to send themselves up by participating in drama. I've written, directed and acted in a range of plays and songs, particularly in the UN.
Arts and Culture Lounge
I've been on the organizing committee of this initiative in UNFPA since 2020, set up during the COVID-19 epidemic while everyone was social distancing, which uses art in all forms to promote diversity and inclusion.
Irregular migration from France to Great Britain in small boats: highlighting female experiences and perspectives
Irregular migration using small boats from France to the UK is dynamic and evolving, with non-stop commentary and fulmination coming from observers. Desperate Channel crossings of one type or another have taken place since the 1990s, with many pull factors to the UK coupled with more hostile conditions in northern France over the last few years.
Media and public discourse around migrants tends to be gender-blind or contain stereotypes. Although 10% of people crossing the Channel are women and girls, they have vulnerabilities which are not often addressed.
HENRY NICHOLLS / REUTERS, Le Monde avec AFP
British and French efforts to address the situation are hampered by inadequate communication and poor joint planning and management. Many things could be done better which would both satisfy national interests and reduce terrible conditions for migrants.
The report draws upon a wide range of literature and may be useful for policy makers addressing this and similar situations.
November 2022. Download main report and two-page summary points on women and girls
Bio
I am British, more recently French, and Brazilian by osmosis. My career has entailed occasional bureaucratic absurdities but also the privilege of working for a bigger cause, which frequently provides a catalyst for creativity. My literary output over the last 20 years has
been eclectic, including poetry, satirical plays, songs and sketches, and Angeland (my first novel). Normally I live just over the border from Geneva, Switzerland, with my impatient and adorable Franco-Brazilian wife and 30-odd plants.