The Qur’an is a collection of poems that contain, among many other things, tellings and retellings of ancient Abrahamic stories, legal injunctions, apocalyptic prophesying, and meditations on the wonder of the natural world. Structurally and stylistically, it deploys lyricism, rhyme, and rhythm in ways that both differ and align with classical Arabic poetry. Poets Sahar Romani and Nadra Mabrouk will share some of their work, touching on elements of prayer and prophecy. Then, they will engage in a conversation with scholar H.M. Zafer on the poetics of the Qur’an, seeking to unpack some of the layers of a text that billions of people throughout history have believed to be the literal word of god.

This event is part of the Poetry Coalition’s slate of programs in the spring and summer that reflect the transformative impact poetry has on individual readers and communities across the nation, and is made possible in part by the Academy of American Poets with support from the Mellon Foundation.

The event will take place at AAWW’s space, at 112 West 27th Street #600 New York, NY 10001 and via live stream!

RSVP HERE! 

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Sahar Romani is the author of the forthcoming chapbook, The Opening, winner of a the Poetry Society of America Fellowship Prize. Her poems appear in Academy of American Poets Poem-a-Day series, Brooklyn Rail, Prairie Schooner, Yale Review and elsewhere. She is a Clinical Assistant Professor in the Expository Writing Program at NYU.

Nadra Mabrouk is an Egyptian poet and the author of Measurement of Holy (Akashic Books, 2020), selected as part of the New Generation African Poets Box Set by the African Poetry Book Fund. A recipient of the Brunel International African Poetry Prize, she is a content editor and professor in New York City.

H. M. Zafer grew up in Northern Pakistan and came to New York City in 2000 as an asylum seeker. He received a doctorate from Cornell University in Historical Linguistics, specializing in the ancient languages of the Red Sea region. He centers South-South literary contact in his work and is currently writing a book titled: “The Red Sea Quran: History of an African Book.” He is an Associate Professor of Global Literatures at the University of Washington and a Senior Lecturer in African and Arabian Classics at Princeton University.

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COMMUNITY CARE & ACCESSIBILITY

At AAWW, the safety and comfort of our community is our top priority. We invite you to practice intentionality and care in your behavior and language when engaging with our programs and with each other. Violence of any kind, including but not limited to racism, sexism, homophobia, transphobia, ableism, ageism, class or casteism, bigotry or bias toward religion or faith, or any action or assault against marginalized identities, is not tolerated. Those who bring harm to our community in person or online are not welcome, and will be asked to exit the space.

The event will be live streamed on Zoom with auto captioning for those who cannot join us in person. For those joining us in person, we are located on the 6th floor of 112 W 27th Street (between 6th and 7th Avenues), there is an elevator that will take you directly to our office. To protect our friends with chemical sensitivities, AAWW is a fragrance-free space. Masks are required for audience members for all AAWW events; if you forget yours, one will be provided for you. We have three commercial grade air purifiers, and a quiet room in the back should you need some space from the crowd. We highly encourage all in person guests to take a COVID test at home prior to the event. If you have had COVID or have had known contact with someone who has tested positive for COVID in the 10 days prior, we ask you tune in for the live stream instead. Please reach out to msaleh@aaww.org for additional accessibility requests, including ADA accessible bathrooms, chairs with added back support, and beyond. This space is for YOU!

RSVP HERE!