Everyone carries a piece of the war within them: what happens when we neglect to consider each individual’s story? The Nigeria-Biafra War (1967–70) erupted when the southeastern region of Nigeria, known as Biafra, declared independence. It was a major conflict; however, this war remains largely absent from official historical accounts. While victims have passed down their experiences across generations, the official silence and the dominance of narratives from larger ethnic groups have perpetuated stereotypes that diminish the suffering of some victims. The differing narratives that are absent from history books continue to divide and polarize social groups within Nigeria and beyond. 

Weaving together cut-ups and redactions from personal narratives, historical accounts, and reflections on the enduring impact of war, and with raw language and searing imagery, the poems in Circumtrauma grapple with loss, resilience, and the search for healing amidst the fractures of deep-seated divisions. 

"Not just a book of poems, but a beautiful and devastating monument to Nigerian history. Verissimo harnesses the power of repetition and reimagination to capture a past that lives on in the psyche, the body, and collective memory. CIRCUMTRAUMA sings with astonishing sentences and images; it is vital, breath-taking work."
—Billy-Ray Belcourt, author of The Idea of an Entire Life and Coexistence