Bilal Al Masri is one of Lebanon's foremost living poets. The publication of Because of You - Selected Poems is the first time his poems are available in English.
The poems in Because of You were translated by Mohamad Haj Mohamad and Dr Anba Jawi. As Dr Anba Jawi writes in the Introduction: "Bilal's poems consist of many layers... Through this he picks up all the contradictions of life, humanity, his city and his country. He digs deep into a beautiful yet harsh reality."
Bilal's writing captures the tension between human beings' need for closeness to others and the fear we are doomed to remain apart.
Like smoke dispersing, / words distance themselves / as you and I return to being strangers
The author is planning a launch in Tripoli and there will be readings from the collection this summer in London. You can order a copy for £9.99 from this page.
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Camilla Reeve, Senior Editor
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