News

Mourid Barghouti (8 July 1944 – 14 February 2021)

The sudden loss of Mourid Barghouti

We learned this tragic and shocking news that our dear friend Mourid Barghouti died on 14 February 2021. 

We were planning the Spring issue of Banipal magazine, whose main feature will be the Palestinian short story writer Mahmoud Shukair, when we discovered that the voice of this beautiful poet is now silent. It is true, though it is impossible to believe. All our sympathies and condolences to his son Tamim.

Mourid was a good friend of Banipal, and we have many great memories.

We published translations of his poems in Banipal 15/16, whose feature on Palestinian literature had to be made into a double issue stretching over Autumn 2002-Spring 2003 as it grew and grew from the first idea of 60 pages, to 80 and finally to 130 pages with works and articles featuring 54 Palestinian authors. 

The seven poems of Mourid Barghouti that we published in that issue were translated by his life's companion and wife Radwa Ashour. A selection of them have been available to read on www.banipal.co.uk since then, but today we have updated it to include all seven. Click to read them.

Publication of those poems led to him being invited to read at the Aldeburgh Poetry Festival later that year and the festival published his first chapbook, A Small Sun, translated by Mourid and Radwa Ashour (click to read the review by Stephen Watts).

His collection The Midnight Sun and Other Poems, also translated by Radwa Ashour, was published by Arc Publications with an introduction by the poet Ruth Padel.

Mourid Barghouti was a brilliant performer/reciter and such an eloquent speaker, reading his work at many international Festivals, and in 2004 Mourid was one of the four authors on the first Banipal Live tour (29 October-13 November 2004).

Rest in peace, dear Mourid . . . .