Ro Hefzu’s debut poetry collection Still I Breathe: Voices the World Must Hear documents the realities of daily life for the Rohingya refugee community. These poems are deeply personal acts of witness that carry the memory of a Rohingya community that has endured genocide and exile. Ro Hefzu’s poetry explores subjects like friendship, love, education, religious festivals, and the importance of maintaining Rohingya language and culture.

Ro Hefzu is a 22-year-old Rohingya poet from Kyaung Taung Village and Buthidaung Township in Myanmar’s Rakhine State. He now lives in the world’s largest refugee camp in the Cox’s Bazar District of Bangladesh. Ro Hefzu serves as a camp teacher helping give young Rohingya access to education. His writing bears witness to the Rohingya community’s experience of exile and genocide, and his poetry has been featured on Tomorrow Club (in cooperation with PEN International) and Scribbled. Still I Breathe: Voices the World Must Hear in his first book.

With thanks to Rohim Ullah for the cover photography. You can discover more of Rohim Ullah’s photography here.