Poet Maya Caspari discusses her new collection Almost, with Tenderness

London-based poet and University of York lecturer Maya Caspari recently discussed her new poetry collection, Almost, with Tenderness, and her broader academic research. In her work, Caspari examines how family history, migration, and the complexities of identity are shaped by fragmented memories and linguistic barriers. She emphasizes that her writing explores 'states of in-betweenness'—moments where narratives remain unsettled and resist the pressure to fit into simplistic, neat categories.

Caspari, who also focuses on postcolonial literature, is preparing to release a monograph titled Reading Frictions. Her research investigates how contemporary literature can address historical violence and trauma without merely reproducing these cycles of harm. Through her participation in literary events like SARDAM, she seeks to bridge the gap between her role as a researcher of human experience and her work as a poet, specifically addressing how individuals navigate the nuances of care, tenderness, and memory.