Middle East Studies

A Boat to Lesbos – a Poetry Reading by the Syrian Poet Nouri al-Jarrah

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Wednesday, April 17, 2019

6:00 – 8:00 p.m.

Smith-Buonanno Hall, Room 106

Free and open to the public

Reception to follow

A Boat to Lesbos and Other Poems, is Nouri Al-Jarrah’s first collection in English translation. This powerful epic poem was written while thousands of Syrian refugees were enduring frightening journeys across the Mediterranean before arriving on the small island, and set out like a Greek tragedy, also has editions in French, Italian, Turkish, Spanish, Persian, and forthcoming in Greek – a truly international response to the torment of the Syrian people during these last few years.

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Nouri Al-Jarrah is a Syrian poet and influential poetic voice on the Arab literary scene. He has lived in exile and been publishing his poetry for nearly 40 years. His poetry draws on diverse cultural sources, and is marked by a special focus on mythology, folk tales and legends.