The work of a translator is exceptionally difficult. The translator has to convey the message of words written by another person without actually knowing that person, but they also need to make sure they flow correctly in the target language, so much so that the reader should never be able to tell that the text is not in the original language. Poetry is generally full of metaphors, meter, rhythm, and anecdotes that make translation all the more difficult. Adil Babikir has done an amazing job in the translation of these poems into English from Arabic, a task I can only imagine was intense and most probably agonizingly difficult at times!

Modern Sudanese Poetry is an anthology of Sudanese poems both curated and translated by Adil Babikir. The collection also contains a detailed preface about the anthology and the poets, why each one was chosen, and the reason why certain areas may be lacking (southern Sudanese poetry/spoken word for example, or poems that the editor was unable to secure publishing rights to). The collection spans 6 decades of Sudanese poetry (from the 1960’s until today), and includes both male and female poets (although I would like to have seen more women featured from the earlier period). I had personally not heard of any of these poets before and am grateful to Adil Babikir for the work they have done to bring us these wonderful works of art into the English language.

I read this collection slowly, savoring each poem, giving each poet time to linger in my head. There are many cultural references in the poems, a love for a homeland torn by war, but also hope, resistance and love. There is also so much beauty within this collection, poems that sing to you, twirl you around, and break your heart in two. I would love to read more content by each and every poet featured!

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the advance copy of this collection. I encourage all poetry lovers to grab a copy and delve into the world of Sudanese poetry, you will not be disappointed.

#ReadAfrica2018 #ReadAfrica2019 challenge Book 16: Sudan

inkpots revving with fury

Let me start with that! That was an excellent few words! That was from one of the poems – I cannot remember which one it was but I wrote it down so I could remember it but didn't think to write down the name of the poem or who wrote it. Silly me.

I haven't read, uh, any poetry that isn't from Europe or North America or Japan. I don't think I've even read Rumi – really! So this was my first time to dip my toes into African poetry, Afro-Arabic poetry, not-familiar poetry.

Yet it was somehow familiar. The fervor, the vibrancy, I know it from somewhere – it was the poems of early 1900's Finnish poets that it reminded me of. And it was beautiful. It was touching. It was patriotic. It was inspiring.

I definitely recommend this book to anyone who wants to get to know African/Afro-Arabic poetry.

I received a free eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This is a much-needed book, as there is almost no other Sudanese poetry in English translation on the market. While the introduction is repetitive and the translations often awkward, the poems are nonetheless striking and urgent. I was especially struck by the sense of mortality and the horrors of the recent civil war in Sudan and the ways in which many of the poets navigated this trauma through a combination of direct address and metaphor using nature imagery. I recommend this to casual readers of poetry in addition to scholars and those interested in the land and its people.

Originally published on my blog: Nonstop Reader.

Modern Sudanese Poetry is an anthology of post-independence (1964-present) poetry from Sudanese poets. This book is in the African Poetry Book Series. Anticipated release date is 1st Sept 2019 from the Originally published on my blog: University of Nebraska press. It's 186 pages and will be available in paperback and ebook formats.

This volume is impressive in several ways. This is obviously poetry in translation, the translation work by editor Adil Babikir seemed seamless and quite a number of the poems moved me despite being translated to English (and despite being read through the lens of my experiences as a western white woman). The included poetry is appealingly wide ranging. There are both male and female poets represented here. The poetry encompasses both the Arab and African experiences (sometimes both at once). There is a lot of poignant counterpoint in the culture of the region and it is reflected in the poetry.

I also really liked the supporting materials. There is a very well written, accessible, scholarly forward by Matthew Shinoda which provides background information, some concise history and some interesting observations on the language and culture of the region. There is also an introduction, presumably by the editor, which gives a broad background with poetic and literary influences. The intro is accessible and also well documented, with a wealth of possibilities for further reading beyond the scope of the book.

The introductory materials represent roughly 20% of the page content. There are poems from (by my count) 31 poets, many of them have more than one poem included. I felt glimpses, reading them, of the common bonds which everyone shares across cultures and throughout time. We all experience love and loss and regret and confusion and anger.

There's an included notes section with some footnote info, a bibliography and reference section after the poetry, along with short contributor biographies.

I have done quick searches online and through the interlibrary catalogue at my university library. There is very little Sudanese poetry in translation available. None of these poets were familiar to me, and I found a number to follow up. This anthology was needed. Very well done (academic, true, but accessible and appealing to the layperson).

Five stars

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.

Moder Sudanese Poetry was an interesting poetry collection that covers a lot of different themes, such as war, love, identity and sufism. I just wish they included more female poets in this collection to have a even greater variety.