Forty Names

Parwana Fayyaz's debut collection of poetry, "The Unquiet Border," explores the lives of Afghan women, both past and present, through their perspectives. The poems are not judgmental but witness the contexts of their experiences. The collection also highlights the rich history and diverse cultures of Afghanistan, which are often overlooked in Western media. Fayyaz's poetry bridges cultures and languages, allowing her to express her resistance and understanding of her tradition. Learning English was a significant factor in her development as a poet, enabling her to distance herself and comprehend the connection with her heritage.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 96 pages
Publication date: 29 July 2021
Publisher: Carcanet Press Ltd

A New Statesman Book of the Year 2021 and a White Review Book of the Year 2021, Parwana Fayyaz's debut collection explores the experiences of Afghan women, both in the past and the present. Through her poems, she highlights their resilience and achievements, offering a unique perspective on their lives. John McAuliffe praises the remarkable litanies that haunt her poems, which conjure and commemorate various occasions. The poems are not judgmental, allowing the reader to infer the contexts and stories. Alongside the human stories, Fayyaz paints a vivid landscape of unfamiliar villages and cities, as well as a rich history that is often overlooked by the Western press when reporting contemporary news. Storytelling has a deep tradition in Afghan culture, with stories passed down orally from generation to generation. Even women who are illiterate possess a few important stories that they share with others. As Fayyaz grew away from the traditional values of patience and resistance, she began to express her own resistance in her poems, which navigate between cultures and languages, reflecting on one while understanding the other. Each language has its own history and value systems, and learning English played a crucial role in giving Fayyaz her voice as a poet. It allowed her to distance herself from her cultural background while also connecting with it on a deeper level.

Weight: 122g
Dimension: 350 x 216 x 11 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781800171077