Robert Darr reflects on his long relationship with the people and culture of this ancient land, and shares his insights into its present situation
“No matter how powerful you are, there is nothing you can do to counteract the effect of beauty… the Taliban ultimately can’t succeed because the Afghan people are too strongly rooted in their music and poetry.”
Susanne Sklar provides insight into the meaning of the famous ‘Jerusalem’ hymn
“Jerusalem is a woman, a city and a way of life… She abhors exploitation, and orchestrates what we would call ‘a global fair trade network’.”
Ian Almond on a more inclusive approach to comparative literature, and the cultural traditions of Turkey, Mexico and Bengal
“At the moment, there are vast swathes of the planet – hundreds of millions of people – who are barely represented by a single name.”
Jane Clark and Barbara Vellacott review the poetry series we presented during the Covid-19 lockdown, March – June 2020
Poetry engages the imagination, and can touch us deeply, body and soul; it can bring us to a sense of our common humanity
Mark Vernon | On the 700-year anniversary of The Divine Comedy, Mark Vernon explores a pivotal moment of transformation in the Purgatorio in which Dante gets a glimpse of the vastness of Divine Love
Alan Williams tells us about his new translation of Rumi’s great epic poem, the Masnavi
“Rumi wants not merely to define in words but to take us to that world of ultimate meaning, which is way beyond any mental conception”