Mural

Description

Poetry from former national poet of Palestine, illustrated by original drawings by John Berger

Mahmoud Darwish was the Palestinian national poet. One of the greatest poets of the last half century, his work evokes the loss of his homeland and is suffused with the pain of dispossession and exile. His poems display a brilliant acuity, a passion for and openness to the world and, above all, a deep and abiding humanity. Here, his close friends John Berger and Rema Hammami present a beautiful new translation of two of Darwish’s later works. Illustrated with original drawings by John Berger, Mural is a testimony to one of the most important and powerful poets of our age.”Darwish’s poetry is an epic effort to transform thelyrics of loss into the indefinitely postponed drama of return.”
—Edward Said

“Did as much as anyone to forge a Palestinian nationalconsciousness.”
—Peter Clark, The Guardian

“The most celebrated writer of verse in the Arab world.”
—Adam Shatz, The New York Times

“an exquisitely designed book, enhanced by several ofBerger’s evocative drawings … Mural is a spiralling and circuitous poem, alivewith swerves and sly twists, moving along corridors that dead-end only to openout unexpectedly into detours and hidden passageways. That single adjective,conspicuous in Darwish’s spare style, presages the very structure of Mural.”
—Eric Ormsby, Bookforum

“The translation is very fine: Rema Hammami and John Berger take a few liberties but always keep to the spirit of the poems. It’s a joy to read and among the very best Palestinian literature.”
—Raja Shehadeh

Mahmoud Darwish (1942–2008) published some thirty books of poetry and prose and has been translated into thirty-five languages. His many international awards include the Lenin Peace Prize and the Lannan Foundation Prize for Cultural Freedom.

Storyteller, novelist, essayist, screenwriter, dramatist and critic, John Berger (1926–2017) was one of the most internationally influential writers of the last fifty years. His many books include Ways of Seeing; the fiction trilogy Into Their Labours; Here Is Where We Meet; the Booker Prize–winning novel G; Hold Everything Dear; the Man Booker–longlisted From A to X; and A Seventh Man.

Rema Hammami is professor at the Institute for Women’s Studies at Birzeit University, Ramallah.GB

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