Imtiaz Dharker - Love Poems double-signed remarqued Folio Society first edition
Signed by Imtiaz Dharker and Mikki Lee via a specially-designed bookplate.
Illustrated, signed and remarqued (hand-sketched with original artwork on the title page) by Mikki Lee.
Selected and introduced by Imtiaz Dharker Romantic, passionate, unrequited, lost and embittered: infinite expressions of love are collected in Love Poems; a unique Folio Society edition selected by the 'world poet laureate' Imtiaz Dharker.
Winner of the prestigious Queen's Gold Medal for Poetry 2014, Dharker is a prominent figure in the poetry sphere, but she is also an award-winning filmmaker and globally exhibited artist. Born in Pakistan, Dharker works between Britain and India and is widely published and exhibited around the world. In Love Poems, she has embraced the cultural diversity of classical and contemporary poetry, delving into archives for little-known poems, while also showcasing the better-known stalwarts of the poetry canon.
An exciting, fresh and diverse collection, the poems are complemented by Mikki Lee's stunning artwork. Winner of the prestigious Book Illustration Competition, Lee's prize commission is a beautiful interpretation of the work that sets apart this unique volume that will be treasured by poetry fans. From tempestuous and passionate to subtle and pensive, the wide-ranging voices and experiences in Love Poems will resonate with readers of all ages.
Dharker has skilfully woven a narrative through her selection, with poems loosely grouped around themes rather than arranged according to geography or timeline. The ebb and flow of style, length, era and language is refreshing and fluid, as love is portrayed in myriad ways. There are chance encounters in Walt Whitman's 'To a Stranger' and Vladimír Holan's 'Meeting in a Lift'; passionate love is portrayed in Emily Dickinson's 'Wild nights, Wild nights!' and Petronius' 'Good god, what a night that was'; and loss is keenly felt in R. S. Thomas' 'A Marriage'. Sylvia Plath and Ted Hughes appear together in print as in life, and the yearning for an absent love is simply and beautifully portrayed in Constantine Cavafy Come back'. Snippets of Sappho are translated from Greek, while Arabic, Catalan, Tamil, Chinese, Irish and French are among the many native languages of the poets included in this emotive and joyful collection.
Bound in blocked denim Set in Minion 264 pages Frontispiece and 7 integrated colour illustrations 2 ribbon markers Textured 'Cloud Dragon' endpapers Coloured tops Blocked slipcase 10? x 6¾