Held Too Briefly, an anthology born out of the 2025 Art for Life (Art4Life) campaign, is now available to the public. This powerful collection of poetry, flash fiction, and visual art from across Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) brings into focus the human stories behind avoidable disaster deaths  from drowning, maternal mortality, silicosis, and snakebite.

The anthology is published as part of the 2025 International Awareness Day for Avoidable Deaths (IAD4AD), through a collaboration between the Custodians of African Literature (COAL), Avoidable Deaths Network (ADN), and SEVHAGE Literary and Development Initiative, with support from the University of Leicester Institute for Environmental Futures. The anthology serves as a creative advocacy tool for raising awareness, igniting discussions, and inspiring policy dialogues on disaster risk reduction in SSA.

Divided into four thematic sections, Held Too Briefly is a tribute to lives lost too soon, not to fate, but to systemic failure. The anthology features work by both emerging and established African creatives, whose voices turn personal and communal grief into artistic advocacy for change. Their works expose how proximity, poverty, and poor risk governance frameworks often determine who survives and who doesn’t.

Over 100 submissions were received from across: Nigeria, Zambia, Uganda, Kenya, and Zimbabwe. The final selection showcases pieces chosen for both their artistic merit and alignment to the campaign’s call.

Held Too Briefly is now available in digital format and will be launched across multiple platforms including virtual engagement, literary festivals, and advocacy events in Africa and the UK.