- We got the question from Angela Gui, daughter of Gui Minhai, if we wanted to publish poems by her father in book form in Sweden, says publisher Martin Kaunitz at the publisher Kaunitz-Olsson who will publish the book.

The poems came about during Gui Minhai's first period in captivity. He memorized them and then wrote them out of memory when he was temporarily released from prison at the end of 2017.

Straight poems about a longing for a country in the north

- Very straight, very simple. Very drastic images that collide with each other. There are lofty punishments about the longing for a country far away in the north, so Martin Kaunitz describes the poems and continues:

"It is valley horses, moose, lucia and the king will break into the poems," says Kaunitz, who, through his involvement in the Swedish Pen, knows Gui Minhai's situation well.

Preface by Minhai's daughter

The foreword is written by Minhai's own daughter who tells about his dad, who he is and how the poems came about. The afterword is signed to journalist Kurdo Baksi, who is known for his commitment to prisoners of conscience.

- We get a collection of poetry with these fine poems collected in original language, Chinese, and in Swedish translation. And then we also get a book that tells about the situation of freedom of speech in China and in the world at large, says Martin Kaunitz

The collection of poems will be released on Gui Minhai's birthday, May 5.