For those in London on June 24:
World-renowned Iraqi poet Saadi Youssef will be in conversation with The Mosaic Rooms’ Omar Al-Qattan about his work and will give a reading of his poetry. According to Banipal and Mosaic Rooms organizers, a special guest will read selected translations in English.
The event is set to begin at 7 p.m.
The launch of these volumes of Youssef’s collected works, presented by publisher and poet Khalid al-Maaly, will include a reception and a signing session.
According to Banipal, Youssef writes:
The seven volumes of my poetical works contain what I have written between 1952 and 2014. They represent a life’s journey that is rich in hope, dangers and departures and is also a journey on the long road of art. Whosoever is interested in the aesthetics of contemporary Arabic poetry can trace my many steps in these volumes. It has been my good fortune to have lived a long life, to experiment ceaselessly and to continue doing so until now.
Two collections of Youssef’s work — Nostalgia, My Enemy (trans. Sinan Antoon, Peter Money) and Without an Alphabet, Without a Face (trans. Khaled Mattawa) — are available in English.
Read Saadi Youssef’s poetry in English translation:
From Jadaliyya, three poems translated by Sinan Antoon: Fulfillment, Conversation, and O Nostalgia: My enemy.
From Banipal 15/16, Elsinore, Hamlet’s Castle, translated by Sargon Boulus.
From Words Without Borders, seven poems translated by Khaled Mattawa: Five Crosses, The Bird’s Last Flight, Koofa, A Shiver, The Jazz Corner, Departure ‘82 and Silence.
From The Poetry Center, three poems, also translated by Khaled Mattawa: Solos on the Oud, The New Baghdad and Poetry.
From Blue Moon Review, two poems translated by Mattawa: Shatt Al-Arab and Thank You Imru Ul-Qais.
From Poems About War, translated by Khaled Mattawa, from America, America.
More poems (in English translation and in Arabic) on Saadi Youssef’s website.
Reflections, interviews, and reviews:
Saadi Youssef’s Language, ‘The Language Used By All’
An Interview with Saadi Youssef: By Joy E. Stocke
