They Call Us is a powerful collaborative visual poem launched on International Women’s Day as a statement of solidarity with women who have faced online abuse, including health campaigner Athika Ahmed.

Commissioned by Literature Wales and championed by the National Poet of Wales, Hanan Issa, it features dozens of voices defiant against those trying to silence women.

In January 2026, 23‑year‑old Athika Ahmed became the target of a coordinated wave of online harassment after far‑right activists deliberately circulated false claims that she was the Health Minister for Wales. The misinformation triggered a surge of vitriolic abuse, with attacks directed at her appearance, faith, race, and nationality.

In response, Aberystwyth poet Mari Ellis Dunning, the National Poet of Wales Hanan Issa, and novelist Gosia Buzzanca invited women and allies from across Wales and beyond to submit single lines of poetry. These lines were then woven into a single collective piece – an act of creative resistance and shared strength.