Mural
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, exile and loss. His poems also 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, his long masterpiece “Mural,” a contemplation of his life and work written following life-threatening surgery, and his last poem, “The Dice Player,” which Darwish read in Ramallah a month before his death. Illustrated with original drawings by John Berger, Mural is a testimony to one of the most important and powerful poets of our age.
Hardback, 69 pages
ISBN: 9781844674107
October 2009
$19.95 / £9.99
Reviews
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Darwish’s poetry is an epic effort to transform the lyrics of loss into the indefinitely postponed drama of return.
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Did as much as anyone to forge a Palestinian national consciousness.
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The most celebrated writer of verse in the Arab world.
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His was a constant voice calling for coexistence between Israelis and Palestinians.