Midnight and Other Poems

This remarkable Palestinian writer has published his first full-length poetry collection, "Midnight and Other Poems", in the UK. Previously known for his highly-acclaimed autobiography "I Saw Ramallah" (Bloomsbury, 2004), Mourid Barghouti, who has spent many years in exile, presents a rich montage of images in his long poem "Midnight". These images evoke strong emotional responses, ranging from anger, frustration, and despair to yearning and tenderness, as he reflects on occupation, violence, and oppression. The shorter poems in the second half of the book, presented in Radwa Ashour's excellent translation, are equally powerful and provide a graphic depiction of the poet's homeland, with a mix of drama, hard-hitting observations, and contemplative reflections.