I Don't Want This Poem to End

When Mahmoud Darwish died unexpectedly after heart surgery in 2008, he left behind a towering reputation as Palestine’s national poet, and a selection of poems which have never been translated into English. His close friend, Professor Mohammad Shaheen, has translated these poems, written a moving account of the poet, and assembled other biographical materials which illuminate the poet’s life and work.  

These poems are from his early, middle and late stages of writing and show the whole range of Darwish’s talents as he developed a ‘voice’ which enthralled Arabic readers with its depth, passion and intelligence.  This book contains the first English translation of over 30 poems and verse sequences, accompanied by biographical essays by his friends and two unpublished prose pieces by the poet.