Al-Mutanabbi Street Starts Here: Poets and Writers Respond to the March 5th, 2007, Bombing of Baghdad's "Street of the Booksellers"

by Beau Beausoleil

On March 5th, 2007, a car bomb was exploded on al-Mutanabbi Street in Baghdad—the historic center of Baghdad bookselling—wounding more than 100 people and killing more than 30. This anthology begins with a historical introduction to al-Mutanabbi Street and includes the writing of Iraqis as well as a wide swath of international poets and writers who were outraged by this attack. Exploring the question Where does al-Mutanabbi Street start?, the book looks at both communities and nations, seeking to show the commonality between a small street in Baghdad and other individual cultural centers and explain why this attack was an attack on us all. Chapters examine al-Mutanabbi Street as a place for the free exchange of ideas, a place that has long offered its sanctuary to the complete spectrum of Iraqi voices, and a place where the roots of democracy took hold many hundreds of years ago.

Genres: Poetry

300 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2012

Reviews

[Abeer Abdullah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful anthology packed with varied voices, middle eastern (living in, or of origins) (Iraqi and non iraqi) American, European, East, south, west Asian, Latin american and so on, very different perspectives, written for or chosen for, the topic of the 2007 bombing of Al Mutanabi street, the historic street known for selling books and it's cultural cafes.
It was wonderful for many reasons, one of which is the before mentioned variety of voices all sharing the in common point of literature as an agent of saving, and literature as a target as a result, a very powerful thing promoting such different ideas (as the booksellers in Al Mutanabi often do, selling marx and ayatollah side by side) could spark up fear and hatred in the resident extremists in war torn iraq, and it did. This attack symbolised a lot of things, the attack on the ancient culture and tradition of literature and poetry in the area, and a symbol of the general state of the middle east in regards of the liberty to speak. As a middle easterner it was very difficult for me to read, having grown up sort of trying to forget my origins and culture and adopt someone else's, coming to terms with who I am is very difficult when facing what who I am means.
Another incredible thing in this anthology is the quality of poetry and the quality of translation, if youre interested in arabic poetry and have a hard time finding good translations, this book is for you, the poems here are gorgeous and exquisite and well written and well translated!
over all it was wonderful of Beausoleil to turn tragedy into an extremely human act, and 'War Poetry' as we call it is an ancient middle eastern tradition of documenting one's lamentations and mourn.

[Mark E. Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

A book that deserves all the stars in the sky. A book written by writers, poets, publishers, readers, and lovers of books, in a world of barbarian book-burners and book-bombers. A sign, in an uncaring universe, that there are those who care. More than a work of art or literature, this is a work of love. For books and for all who love books, Al-Mutanabbi Street Starts Here.

[World Literature Today]

"This anthology is recommended, not only for its literary merits, but also for its testimony." - Issa J. Boullata, Montréal

This book was reviewed in the September 2013 issue of World Literature Today. Read the full review by visiting our website: http://bit.ly/18R7UOG

[Aya · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great anthology, which might be painful to read at times, but definitely worth it.