Author: Jamal, Mahmood
Publisher: Word Power Books
- Available 14 February 2006 but can be ordered now!
- Introduction by Angus Calder
- Preface and selection by Tom Leonard
- ‘I have long been a fan of Mahmood’s poetry – since his first book ‘Silence Inside A Gun’s Mouth’. His new collection, ‘Sugar-Coated Pill’, will no doubt consolidate his reputation as a special voice.’ – Linton Kwesi Johnson
- ‘This collection moves one in its voyage across worlds torn with political strife yet creates a new world of the imagination that enables our hearts still to sing…’ Susheila Nasta
- “Mahmood Jamal’s poetry speaks of division and its consequences. From the divided self to the divided world his lines traverse the actualities of separation and intimate the possibilities of reconciliation. We live in an age when poetry needs its politics; though we should never forget that politics always needs its poetry. Jamal supplies both in full measure”. Ian Syson, publisher at the Vulgar Press and contributing editor to Overland magazine, Australia.
- “Mahmood Jamal is an outstanding political poet because he is actually a very fine poet… a master of words possessed of something which we can call ‘wisdom'”. Angus Calder
Mahmood Jamal is a progressive Pakistani poet, filmmaker and translator. He writes in Urdu and English and performs both solo and with tabla accompaniment – most recently with young tabla maestro Talvin Singh. He has been published in a wide range of anthologies, had his work broadcast on radio and TV, and been translated into several languages including Turkish and Urdu. He has been a contributor to the 3rd World writers forum Black Voices, co-ordinator of Troubador Poetry and was co-editor of Black Phoenix. He is editor and translator of ‘The Penguin Book of Modern Urdu Poetry’ (out of print). His other books in print include Modern Urdu Poetry and Silence Inside a Gun’s Mouth. His forthcoming book Sugar-Coated Pill: Selected Poems will be published by Word Power Books on 31 January 2006.
