Nabeel's Song
Encyclopedia
Nabeel's Song is the written memoir of the respected Iraq
i poet Nabeel Yasin and his extended family.
journalist
Jo Tatchell this book details Nabeel Yasin, one of Iraq's most famous poets and currently a candidate for prime minister in his extraordinarily eventful life in Iraq through the 1950s, 60s and 70s during the rise of Ba'athism
and the emergence of Saddam Hussein
, and of repression, dictatorship and violence under the militaristic ba'athist regime.
The book mentions what an itinerant family in exile must endure as well as the of the power of literary resistance. Poetry (sung or intoned rather than recited- hence the book's title) is the pre-eminent cultural form in Iraq. Yasin's writing was considered revolutionary in that it fused a modern poetic approach ( particularly the use of abstract imagery) with traditional Iraqi historical form. His most noted works are Brother Yasin ( written in 1974) and the epic Mesopotamia which propelled him to literary stardom and made him one of the most loved young poets in Iraq during the mid 1970s. He was dubbed the Iraqi Bob Dylan
at this time for his outspoken stance on freedom of speech, political hypocrisy and the fact that he seeme to have the ear of the young. It was the poem Brothers Yasin Again written in exile in London
and published in a limited edition of just 500 that proved to be the most extraordinary of all his poems.
It is believed that a single copy of this poem was smuggled back into Iraq overland during the early 1990s, was distributed through the literary underground, and became a rallying cry for those who were in opposition to Saddam's rule. The poem was often recited by rote as an act of defiance and it was journalist Jo Tatchell's piece on the poem's extraordinary journey back to Iraq that prompted the writing of the book.
Nabeel's Song was nominated for the Samuel Johnson Prize
in 2007 and shortlisted for the Costa ( formerly the Whitbread) prize in 2006 and the Index on Censorship Awards the same year.
Jo Tatchell's book was published in the UK in 2006.
Iraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
i poet Nabeel Yasin and his extended family.
Outline
Written by United KingdomUnited Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
journalist
Journalist
A journalist collects and distributes news and other information. A journalist's work is referred to as journalism.A reporter is a type of journalist who researchs, writes, and reports on information to be presented in mass media, including print media , electronic media , and digital media A...
Jo Tatchell this book details Nabeel Yasin, one of Iraq's most famous poets and currently a candidate for prime minister in his extraordinarily eventful life in Iraq through the 1950s, 60s and 70s during the rise of Ba'athism
Ba'athism
Ba'athism is an Arab nationalist ideology that promotes the development and creation of an Arab nation through the leadership of a vanguard party over a progressive revolutionary state. The ideology is officially based on the theories of Zaki al-Arsuzi , Michel Aflaq and Salah al-Din al-Bitar...
and the emergence of Saddam Hussein
Saddam Hussein
Saddam Hussein Abd al-Majid al-Tikriti was the fifth President of Iraq, serving in this capacity from 16 July 1979 until 9 April 2003...
, and of repression, dictatorship and violence under the militaristic ba'athist regime.
Blacklist
In 1978 Yasin was added to the infamous cultural blacklist for his steadfast refusal to write poetry for the regime or to glorify Sadaam Hussien.Exile
In 1979, following stalking and a strange assassination attempt Yasin, his wife and child, fled into exile. Before leaving, Yassin wrote: "This country has been conquered a thousand times .. No matter who occupies the seat of power ..., there is a greater human desire to explore the truth."The book mentions what an itinerant family in exile must endure as well as the of the power of literary resistance. Poetry (sung or intoned rather than recited- hence the book's title) is the pre-eminent cultural form in Iraq. Yasin's writing was considered revolutionary in that it fused a modern poetic approach ( particularly the use of abstract imagery) with traditional Iraqi historical form. His most noted works are Brother Yasin ( written in 1974) and the epic Mesopotamia which propelled him to literary stardom and made him one of the most loved young poets in Iraq during the mid 1970s. He was dubbed the Iraqi Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan is an American singer-songwriter, musician, poet, film director and painter. He has been a major and profoundly influential figure in popular music and culture for five decades. Much of his most celebrated work dates from the 1960s when he was an informal chronicler and a seemingly...
at this time for his outspoken stance on freedom of speech, political hypocrisy and the fact that he seeme to have the ear of the young. It was the poem Brothers Yasin Again written in exile in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
and published in a limited edition of just 500 that proved to be the most extraordinary of all his poems.
It is believed that a single copy of this poem was smuggled back into Iraq overland during the early 1990s, was distributed through the literary underground, and became a rallying cry for those who were in opposition to Saddam's rule. The poem was often recited by rote as an act of defiance and it was journalist Jo Tatchell's piece on the poem's extraordinary journey back to Iraq that prompted the writing of the book.
Nabeel's Song was nominated for the Samuel Johnson Prize
Samuel Johnson Prize
The Samuel Johnson Prize for Non-Fiction is one of the most prestigious prizes for non-fiction writing. It was founded in 1999 following the demise of the NCR Book Award and based on an anonymous donation. The prize is named after Samuel Johnson...
in 2007 and shortlisted for the Costa ( formerly the Whitbread) prize in 2006 and the Index on Censorship Awards the same year.
Jo Tatchell's book was published in the UK in 2006.