New Books Network Sadiqa de Meijer, "In the Field" (Palimpsest Press, 2025)
Oct 28, 2025
Sadiqa de Meijer, a Governor General's Award-winning writer and poet, dives into her new essay collection, *In the Field*. She shares the fascinating journey behind her writings accumulated over 12 years, exploring deep questions about birthplace and art. Sadiqa discusses her unique experience of writing in a second language, the importance of spiritual life reflections, and her ecological fieldwork. She hopes to inspire readers to appreciate the beauty of everyday experiences and the subjectivity in others' lives.
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Long Arc Shapes The Collection
- In The Field grew from nine essays written over about twelve years and assembled into a coherent arc by the author.
- Sadiqa de Meijer began conceiving it as a book project roughly three years before publication.
First Language Keeps Emotional Depth
- Dutch remains Sadiqa de Meijer's emotionally primary language even after decades of English fluency.
- She says first-language imprinting gives childhood language deeper immediacy and resonance than later-learned tongues.
Cover Is A Personal Field Painting
- The cover painting is by Sadiqa de Meijer's partner and depicts a familiar local field near their home.
- The image leans toward abstraction, matching the book's literal and metaphorical 'field' focus.
