Where Words Defeat Bullets is born from a moment of profound grief and unyielding courage. In January 2026, as peaceful protesters in Iran were met with violence, silence was imposed through internet shutdowns, and countless lives were taken or forever altered, poets refused to let truth be buried. Gathering in solidarity in Toronto-and joined by others who later added their voices-these writers transformed mourning into language, and language into resistance. This anthology stands as a testament to the belief that even in the darkest hours, words can rise where weapons fall. This collection affirms the enduring power of poetry to confront tyranny and defend human dignity. The poems in this volume do not answer violence with violence; they answer it with memory, conscience, and humanity. Where Words Defeat Bullets is both a tribute to those who have suffered and a declaration that expression cannot be extinguished. When repression seeks silence, poetry speaks-and in speaking, it endures.

With contributions by:

Albert Moritz, Bruce Meyer, Susan Ksiezopolski, Bruce Hunter, Mark McAlister, Olga Stein, Cy Strom, Peta-Gaye Nash, Keith Garebian, Diana Manole, Patrick Connors, Patricia Keeney, Brenda Clews, Brett Campbell, John Oughton, Peter Taylor, Josephine LoRe, I.B. Iskov, Lynn Xu, Hiram Larew, Sylvia Petter, Claudia Piccinno, Emil Nicolae, Josie Di Sciascio-Andrews Elizabeth Barnes, Elana Wolff, Mahdi Ganjavi, Mbizo Chirasha, Niels Hav, Richard Harrison, EVA Petropoulou Lianou, Antje Stehn, Stephen Kent Roney, PJ Yukon, Kelly Kaur, Chris Wanamaker, Anne Sorbie