Compilation of Abbasid-era poet's work released as book

Abu Dhabi:  The National Library of the Abu Dhabi Authority for Culture and Heritage (ADACH) has published a book on renowned Abbasid-era poet entitled Wisdom and Idioms in Abu Alatahiya's Poetry, written by Abu Omar Yousuf Bin Abdul Barr Al Qurtubi and researched and edited by Dr Ali Ebrahim Al Kurdi.

The objective of this previously unpublished book, according to Al Kurdi, has been to gather Abu Al Atahiya's poems that have an educational or morally guiding role in one volume, stressing that the poet cannot be studied in isolation from the movement of his thought.

Abu Al Atahiya is known to have been influenced by the eastern side of the Arab world and culture. The Quran and Prophet Mohammad's (PBUH) tradition also had a big impact on his poetry. He was also influenced by certain wise sayings, idioms, speeches, letters, philosophy and history, among other fields of knowledge and arts.

The book shows how Andalusian scholars, like Al Qurtubi, were keen on the heritage of the eastern side of the Arab world, where Abu Al Atahiya and other Abbasid-era contemporaries were prominent and well-respected figures.

The book, whose poems are arranged in alphabetical order, also presents many features of Abu Al Atahiya's much appreciated character, and his connections to, and communications with, other revivalist poets.

Story collections

Qalam, ADACH's publishing initiative for Emiratis, has released the story collections ‘The Wise Man's House' by Adel Khuzam, ‘Day of the Antelopes' by Dr Fatima Hamad Al Mazroui, ‘Alzheimer' by Saliha Ubaid, and ‘The Second Life' by Khalid Al Jaberi.