Fairoz

by Moniza Alvi

Fairoz is a book-length poetry sequence in which Moniza Alvi explores an imagined teenage girl’s susceptibility to extremism. The book’s fragmented, collaging narrative draws together fairytale elements, glimpses of Fairoz’s thoughts, and pieces of dialogue. A folkloric representation of God and the devil acts as a counterpoint in the whole, touching on questions of morality. Fairoz is a powerful portrayal of human vulnerability.

Genres: Poetry

104 pages, Paperback

Published March 24, 2022

About the author

Moniza Alvi was born in Lahore, Pakistan, and came to England when she was a few months old. She grew up in Hertfordshire and studied at the universities of York and London.

Peacock Luggage, a book of poems by Moniza Alvi and Peter Daniels, was published as a result of the two poets jointly winning the Poetry Business Prize in 1991. Since then, Moniza Alvi has written six poetry collections: The Country at My Shoulder (1993), which was shortlisted for the T. S. Eliot Prize and the Whitbread Poetry Award, and which led to her being selected for the Poetry Society's New Generation Poets promotion; A Bowl of Warm Air (1996), one of the Independent on Sunday's Books of the Year; Carrying My Wife (2000), a Poetry Book Society Recommendation; Souls (2002); How the Stone Found its Voice (2005), inspired by Kipling's Just So Stories and Europa(2008), a Poetry Book Society Choice and shortlisted for the TS Eliot prize. Also published in 2008 Split World includes poems from her first five collections.

Moniza's latest publication is Homesick for the Earth (2011) selected poems by the French poet Jules Supervielle with versions by Moniza Alvi.


Moniza Alvi now tutors for the Poetry School and lives in Norfolk. In 2002 she received a Cholmondeley Award for her poetry.

Reviews

[Rosamund Taylor · Rating 4 out of 5]

A stark and moving story told in deceptively simple language, Fairoz is a book-length poetry sequence in which Alvi follows her titular Fairoz's journey into extremism. Fairoz is a teenager living with her mother and sister somewhere in England, and, though internet conversations, is drawn into a world of fundamentalism by Tahir, a young man who wants to marry her. Running in counterpoint are poems about myth, religion and fairytales, particularly The Snow Queen. Alvi's poems use simple language and short lines and stanzas, which gives them a huge impact, each one capturing moments of powerful emotion, and drawing apart threads of love, loss and vulnerability. The final poem "My Imagine Fairoz" is a particularly gripping and poignant demonstrations of Alvi's sympathy for her characters, and her refusal to condemn their individuality or vulnerability. A moving and far-reaching narrative.

[Arnau Bertran Manyé]

Great storytelling technique in verse & poetical prose. I loved her prolific use of enjambments and the sequence of her writings. I am using this collection to work on my EMA - I recommend this piece if you look forward to reading a ‘story’ but in a very unusual form.

She has many more collections I can’t wait to put my hands on.

[Madhuri Palaji · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautiful poetry from Moniza Alvi.
Some poems were very intense and deep. The words absolutely portrayed the world of Fairoz a teenager, her love and her heartbreak along with her family conditions.

[Kristiana · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really interesting premise, I enjoyed it.