A Map of Signs and Scents: New and Selected Poems, 1979–2014

by Amjad Nasser, Fady Joudah (Translator), Khaled Mattawa (Translator)

Featuring poems from earlier collections of Amjad Nasser’s work and many newer uncollected poems never made available in English, A Map of Signs and Scents  introduces the work of an important Arabic poet to a broader contemporary Anglophone readership. This special annotation edition helps readers view the multifaceted contexts within which Nasser has created his award-winning poems.

Genres: Poetry

184 pages, Paperback

Published September 15, 2016

About the author

Amjad Nasser is a Jordanian writer and journalist. He has co-founded a number of Arabic publications, including Al-Quds al-Arabi newspaper, published in London since 1989, of which he is the cultural editor. He won the Mohammed al-Maghout Prize for Poetry (2006), the Prize for Creative Writing in Jordan (2008) and the Ibn Battuta Prize for Travel Writing (2009). He has published nine poetry collections, four books of travel writing and a novel. His works have been translated into French, German, Italian, Spanish and English.

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show...

Reviews

[Alexa · Rating 3 out of 5]

While I wasn't terribly impressed by the earlier sections in this collection, I thought that the last two sections were wonderful.

[Cody Stetzel · Rating 4 out of 5]

An important work of community exploration, the poems in Nasser's selected are largely contending with aftermath, cultural identity, and belonging in this open, disaster-filled world.

[Elizabeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ticked off the "collection of poetry in translation on a theme other than love" box on my Read Harder for this year. As with most poetry books, I liked some better than others, but it was worth the entire book for this one line:

"Wisdom has chosen you
For one of her greatest parables
That is why you have remained"