Rifqa is a 2021 poetry collection by Palestinian writer and poet Mohammed el-Kurd, published by Haymarket Books.[1] The book includes a foreword by Aja Monet.[1] Named for el-Kurd's grandmother Rifqa El-Kurd, the collection addresses family memory, dispossession, and political life in Sheikh Jarrah and East Jerusalem.[2][3]
_cover.jpg) Book cover of Rifqa | |
| Author | Mohammed el-Kurd |
|---|---|
| Language | English |
| Genre | Poetry |
| Publisher | Haymarket Books |
Publication date | 12 October 2021 |
| Publication place | United States |
| Pages | 100 |
| ISBN | 978-1-64259-586-4 |
The collection was shortlisted for the Felix Dennis Prize for Best First Collection at the 2022 Forward Prizes for Poetry.[4][5]
Reception
editIn the Los Angeles Review of Books, Summer Farah wrote that Rifqa explores "the ways colonialism alters our navigation of time and space".[6]
The Daily Star reviewer stated "As beautiful and touching as it is, Rifqa retains its edge all the way to the end."[7]
References
edit- 1 2 "Rifqa". Haymarket Books. Haymarket Books. Retrieved 5 March 2026.
- ↑ Bajwa, Nameera (Winter 2024). "On Rifqa by Mohammed el-Kurd". The Poetry Project. Retrieved 5 March 2026.
- ↑ Bhutto, Fatima (7 November 2021). "Mohammed El-Kurd: Palestinian poet distils lessons from injustice". Middle East Eye. Retrieved 5 March 2026.
- ↑ "Forward Prizes for Poetry Shortlist 2022". The Poetry Society. 17 June 2022. Retrieved 5 March 2026.
- ↑ "Mort, El-Kurd and Pollard make Forward Prizes for Poetry shortlists". The Bookseller. 17 June 2022. Retrieved 5 March 2026.
- ↑ Farah, Summer (4 December 2021). ""I Write an Attempt": On Mohammed El-Kurd's Rifqa". Los Angeles Review of Books. Retrieved 5 March 2026.
- ↑ Khandaker, Rafid (16 March 2023). "Rifqa: A spellbinding account of persecution, courage, and survival | The Daily Star". The Daily Star. Retrieved 2 April 2026.