Poetic representations of migration narratives: A process of writing nearby

Abstract

This article proposes an alternative and reflexive practice for representing migration narratives, referred to as a process of writing nearby. It is informed by ethnography of communication and performance-based theory (i.e. ethnopoetics and poetic inquiry) and provides a theoretically grounded approach, using mimetic configuration, so as to challenge more conventional methods of ethnographical writing. The outcome is presented in the form of poetic narrative suites; the example included here is based on data from a longitudinal linguistic ethnography. The article argues for the use of poetics as a way of calling for the activation of the reader's imagination, represent multisensorial experiences, illuminate linguistic resourcefulness and illustrate alternative models of speakerhood. Thus, it contributes to the developing field of arts-based research in sociolinguistics by critically engaging with the notion of voice, and by outlining a creative method for handling the limitations of textual representation.