Charlotte Shevchenko Knight - The Journal Entry

In Spring 2025, Manchester Literature Festival and Manchester UNESCO City of Literature co-commissioned Charlotte Shevchenko Knight to create new work as part of their role as Manchester Multilingual City Poet. Charlotte was invited to write a new poem responding to the themes of ‘sanctuary’ and ‘welcome.’ Her powerful and moving response is ‘The Journal Entry’.

In Charlotte’s own words: “I was thinking about ‘welcome’ and ‘sanctuary’ and their different contexts and I wanted to get to the heart of them, which for me is about feeling at home, feeling safe, and having the freedom to express yourself. I’ve written a poem that plays on the form of a journal entry with this in mind.”

Charlotte performed ‘The Journal Entry’ for the first time at an intimate event at Manchester Poetry Library on 22 October 2025. The event was part of the 20th edition of Manchester Literature Festival and featured Charlotte and her fellow Manchester Multilingual City Poet Nóra Blascsók reading their work in English, Ukrainian and Hungarian. Hosted by former Manchester Multilingual City Poet Anjum Malik, the event reflected the city’s vibrant multilingual energy and celebrated the role of poetry, creativity and communities to unite and welcome people.

Charlotte Shevchenko Knight is an award-winning poet of both British and Ukrainian heritage. Her debut collection Food for the Dead recently won the Laurel Prize for Best First Collection UK (2024).

The Manchester Multilingual City Poets are talented creatives who have been appointed to produce a series of original work on behalf of the City. The poets act as ambassadors for Manchester residents, communities and literature organisations, and carry a civic responsibility, much like conventional Poet Laureate designations. Each poet translates the other’s work, creating a unique cross-cultural conversation.

You can download a copy of the Journal Entry in English and Hungarian by clicking on the link opposite.