A celebration of Palestinian poetry and music

To celebrate the tenth anniversary of the death of Palestine’s greatest poet, Mahmoud Darwish, Frome Friends of Palestine will be holding an evening of poetry and music, ‘Homeliness, Exile and Longing’.

The group says, “Mahmoud Darwish was six when his family was driven from their home by the advancing Israeli forces in 1948. His poetry examines the sorrow and loss of his home which was obliterated. His poetry focuses on the feelings of displaced people while they are detached from their homes and families and searching for their identity in a foreign land. ‘Here on the slopes of hills, facing the dusk and the cannon of time, We do what prisoners do, What jobless do, We cultivate hope.’

“Selected poems will be read in translation, by Jim Laurenson, Crysse Morrison and a selection in Arabic by Hazem Al Assad, a Syrian refugee. The poems will be interwoven with music by Chai for Three, recently returned from a British Council-sponsored tour of Palestine with their parent band, Chai for All. David Mowat plays trumpet, Knud Stuwe guitar and oud, Simon Leach darbuka frame drums and “blowy things”. The poetry will be introduced by Peter Clark.

“The performance is on Wednesday 11th July at Trinity Church Hall and will be preceded by a middle Eastern buffet provided by the Frome Friends of Palestine. The performance starts at 7.00pm and costs £10. Tickets can be bought on the door or from the Cheese and Grain (Festival event no. 1111). The buffet will start at 6.00pm and will be by donation.”