Book Cover: Matthew Schembri
Poetry Maps (2025) is Matthew Schembri's contribution to the Two Moons and Two Suns project by Fictive Archive Investigations. It showcases several map outlines of island countries created from poems printed in black ink on white sheets. Each poem was written by a living poet from a habitable island nation who agreed to participate either through an open call or by personal invitation. The theme of the open call was intentionally broad, though contributors were encouraged to share poems connected — directly or indirectly — to their island country. A recurring motif emerged on its own: the presence of liquid-sweat, tears, blood, rain — and, above all, the sea.
The poems are arranged alphabetically, but the reader is free to navigate the book in any order; the book's design welcomes future additions. Each spread features the representative poem shaped into the outline of its respective country on the front, displayed in the original language (which may be English or a combination of languages). On the back, the poem is presented in standard English translation. Each artwork will be mailed to its respective poet.