Banipal 51 celebrates the great Iraqi poet Saadi Youssef in his 80th year. In this feature, Banipal puts a spotlight on the life, works and huge influence on modern Arabic poetry of this renowned poet, presenting new poems in translation, essays and tributes in celebration of the extraordinary poetic achievements of Saadi Youssef (born 1934, Basra).
Banipal 51 continues the Guest Literature section with IN THE DUTCH MOUNTAINS, six very different fiction writers from the Netherlands. The issue also includes a chapter from the forthcoming novel in translation, The Book of the Sultan’s Seal of Egyptian author Youssef Rakha, and an excerpt from a novel by the Omani author Ghalya Al Said. Plus poems by that poetic wordsmith in French, the late Moroccan poet Mohammed Khaïr-Eddine, many book reviews and a photo report of Banipal's latest outreach events in Japan.
The front cover portrait of Saadi Youssef is by Iraqi artist Mansour Mansour