“Lived Places” has a special meaning for refugees and other displaced persons because it can refer to a remembered home, a temporary camp or settlement, or a new community—or all of these places simultaneously. Facing an uncertain future, they must negotiate with states, non-governmental and international organizations, smugglers, host communities and others in the search and struggle for home.

The Forced Migration Collection is guided by the conviction that the study of displacement must be conceived and undertaken with the participation of those who have been compelled to leave their homes and communities. It will seek titles that examine forced migration from the ground up, from the lived lives of refugees, asylum-seekers and the internally displaced. We welcome submissions from authors writing about displacement from their lived experiences and from researchers focusing on narratives of individual or collective displacement.

For seasoned writers, our role as collection editors will be that of occasional progress-checker, deadline-reminder, and draft reader. For first-time writers, our role will be that of co-strategist, frequent draft commentator, and general encourager. For those in-between, we will come up with an arrangement that will permit authorial freedom and editorial feedback.