Hair on Fire: Afghan Women Poets

Calico Series #12

by Sarah Coolidge (Editor)

There are “hypnotic, long beards” tangled with mass extinctions; hateful men burning grapevines; black blindfolds; jinn in chadors; and condoms advertised every eight minutes on TV. Interspersing these are tender moments: one poet describes brushing her daughter’s hair, while another imagines a tree growing at the center of a room, undisturbed by the bombs outside. In the wake of the Taliban’s escalating war on Afghan women’s rights, Hair on Fire is a blazing tribute to a group of exceptional poetesses and a reminder of what we lose when voices are silenced.

Genres: Poetry

144 pages, Paperback

Published September 2, 2025

Reviews

[Emily · Rating 5 out of 5]

the scorched smell of country girls’ hair / rises from the breast of history even now / in this fire-field, should you say something / you fear burning your tongue [Mariam Meetra, “Barren Plain”]

[Matthew · Rating 4 out of 5]

Yet another impressive and important entry in the Calico series from Two Lines. Beautifully done.

[Dree · Rating 3 out of 5]

I always struggle to review anthologies, because there should be a varied selection of offerings and I am unlikely to like them all. This anthology features selections from 5 poets. Unsurprisingly for an anthology of Afghan women poets, these largely focus on belonging, homeland, war, mountains, and children.

My favorites were those by Nadia Anjuman (Plaything being my favorite of all), with a few others throughout the collection.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

"One day
without love
without faith
just
for my mother's sake
I will return."

[Casey]

“No one can stop tomorrow from coming,
‘and I don’t care if they say
my songs are useless.’”
— Karima Shabrang

Aria Aber’s intro to this collection is spectacular 🌟