Classical Poems by Arab Women: An Anthology

Arab women poets have been writing since the earliest of times, yet for millennia, their diwans (collected poems) were kept in the shadows.

Spanning more than five thousand years, from the pre-Islamic to the Andalusian periods, Classical Poems by Arab Women presents rarely seen work by over sixty women writers who boldly refused to be silenced. From the sorrowful eulogies of Khansa to the gleeful scorn of Wallada bint al-Mustakfi, this collection offers a rich excursion into the vibrant, exclusively female worlds of pleasure, passion and pain, suppressed for centuries by religious and political bigotry.

With many poems shown here for the first time, this bespoke edition celebrates feminine wit and desire and pays homage to the significant contribution Arab women have made to the literary tradition.

Reviews

‘This is some of the most beautiful poetry in the world … Timeless.’ --Tracy Emin

‘The range of female poets from radically different eras is extraordinary, as is how fearlessly they speak about their desires.’ --Mona Eltahawy

‘An outspoken and controversial book that provides many moments for both enjoyment and reflection.’ --Denys Johnson-Davies

'A unique anthology that transcends love and liberation' --Moris Farhi

'Al-Udhari's effort to clarify this subject really does fill a gap and contributes to a more balanced discussion that the works about women in the modern Arab world allow.' --Folklore Bulletin (Ohio State University)

'The very process of anthologizing the names of so many unfamiliar poets has provided a useful historical survey.' --Roger Allen (MESA Bulletin)

'One of the most exciting books to have come my way this year ... Vividly conveys the richness and diversity of a culture more closely related to our own than we realize.' --Prospect