Contents
Mahmoud Darwish
Giving poetic voice to Palestinian displacement, memory and belonging.
Identity Card · Memory for Forgetfulness
- Born
- 13 March 1941
- Birthplace
- Al-Birwa, Mandatory Palestine
- Died
- 9 August 2008
More people
Mahmoud Darwish
Mahmoud Darwish was a Palestinian poet whose work joined public history with love, language and personal experience.
Early life
Displacement
His family fled their village during the 1948 war.
Early writing
Began publishing poetry as a young man.
Career
- 1960s
Poetry and journalism
Became known through poems and editorial work.
- 1970s–1980s
Life abroad
Worked in several Arab and European cities.
- Later decades
International readership
Developed a large body of poetry and prose.
Selected writings
Identity Card
A poem of identity and resistance.
Memory for Forgetfulness
A prose work shaped by the siege of Beirut.
Mural
An extended poem confronting mortality.
Beyond poetry
Public life
Wrote the Palestinian Declaration of Independence in 1988.
Literary range
Resisted being reduced solely to a political spokesperson.
Sources & photo credit
Life, career and references ↗Photo: Amer Shomali. CC BY-SA 3.0 · Original image. Cropped and displayed in monochrome.
