The American University of Beirut (AUB) Press announced the release of its new publication Lines of Fire by Dr. Tariq Mehmood. Focusing on the works of the Afro-Asian Writers’ Movement between the 1960s and 1970s, it presents a selection of poetry from the rich archives of the two major journals published during that time, The Call and Lotus. Through the selection, this book highlights key works from a movement that brought writers from all corners of the world together under the banner of resistance.
Lines of Fire was finalized against the backdrop of escalating violence. “It reminded me that poetry is not just an outlet for anger, grief, or love,” writes Mehmood in the introduction. “It is resistance. It is resilience. It is the refusal to be erased.”
Over the course of his research, the author’s path has brought him together with many renowned poets and writers who shaped the history covered in this book. One of these poets is Ziad Abdulfattah, the last living editor of the journals. Ziad has written the foreword to this book where he shares his first-hand experience in formulating a journal and developing it to allow it to reach the entire world.
This book introduces the history of the Afro-Asian Writers’ Movement and highlights those who used their pens as weapons to fight injustice. This work also extensively discusses the Tashkent and Bandung conferences that aimed to bring writers together, discuss peace, poetry, and decolonization. As in many movements, internal conflicts and the watchful eye of intelligent services were some of the challenges that faced the writers and editors. Most importantly, this work draws parallels between the struggles of the past and those of today, placing poetry and powerful writing at the heart of resistance, remembrance, and the ongoing fight for justice.
The book includes more than one-hundred poems from The Call and Lotus categorized into four sections: Exile, Independence and Nationalism, Place and Land, and Hope and Endurance.
About AUB
Founded in 1866, the American University of Beirut bases its educational philosophy, standards, and practices on the American liberal arts model of higher education. A teaching-centered research university, AUB has more than 790 full-time faculty members and a student body of over 9000 students. AUB currently offers more than 140 programs leading to bachelor’s, master’s, MD, and PhD degrees. It provides medical education and training to students from throughout the region at its Medical Center that includes a full-service 365-bed hospital.
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