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Rifqa

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( 4,447 ratings, 934 reviews)
Book Hero Magic crafted this summary to help describe this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Summary
Rifqa by Mohammed El-Kurd is a compelling exploration of Palestinian identity and resistance, framed through powerful poetry and reflection. It navigates personal and collective experiences of displacement, resilience, and cultural heritage, crafting an evocative image of struggle and hope within the broader context of Arts & Culture.
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Format: Paperback / softback
$4700

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Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?

You might enjoy this book if you appreciate poignant and powerful poetry that challenges political and cultural narratives. Mohammed El-Kurd uses his words to offer a passionate exploration of identity, resistance, and the Palestinian experience, blending art and activism in a compelling way.

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In Rifqa, El-Kurd tightropes between statelessness and uncertainty, still one thing remains clear: "Jerusalem is ours! / The biggest punchline of all time."

Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

Each day after school, Mohammed El-Kurd's grandmother welcomed him at the door of his home with a bouquet of jasmine. Her name was Rifqa—she was older than Israel itself and an icon of Palestinian resilience.

With razor-sharp wit and glistening moral clarity, El-Kurd lays bare the brutality of Israeli settler colonialism. His poems trace Rifqa's exile from Haifa to his family's current dispossession in Sheikh Jarrah, Jerusalem, exposing the cyclical and relentless horror of the Nakba.

El-Kurd's debut collection definitively shows that the Palestinian struggle is a revolution, until victory.

Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?

Rifqa by Mohammed El-Kurd has been described as a powerful poetry collection that pays homage to Palestinian experiences while challenging the boundaries of poetic expression. Critics praise its raw and evocative language, highlighting themes of resistance, memory, and liberation. The book is seen as both a personal and political testament, weaving intimate narratives with a broader cultural and historical commentary. El-Kurd's ability to blend anger with hope, and the personal with the political, resonates strongly with readers, making it a significant contribution to contemporary poetry.

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Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9781642595864

Publisher: Haymarket Books

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 12 October 2021

Country: United States

Imprint: Haymarket Books

Illustration: Illustrations

Contributors:

  • Foreword by Aja Monet
  • Foreword by aja monet

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Width: 228.0mm

Height: 152.0mm

Weight: 250g

Pages: 100

About the Author

Mohammed El-Kurd is an internationally-touring poet and writer from Jerusalem, Palestine. His work has been featured in The Guardian, This Week In Palestine, Al-Jazeera English, The Nation, and the forthcoming Vacuuming Away Fire anthology, among others. Mohammed graduated from the Savannah College of Art and Design with a B.F.A. in Writing, where he created Radical Blankets, an award-winning multimedia poetry magazine. He is currently pursuing an M.F.A. in Poetry from Brooklyn College. His poetry-oud album, Bellydancing On Wounds, was released in collaboration with Palestinian musical artist Clarissa Bitar. Apart from poetry and writing, el-Kurd is a visual artist, printmaker, and most recently, co-designer of a fashion collection with Serbian designer Tina Gancev. Mohammed has spent his undergraduate weekends performing poetry at campuses and cultural centers across the United States and hopes to continue in the post-COVID-19 era.

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