Explore the history and development of this centuries-old poetic form and look at the key elements needed for writing your own in this workshop.

For hundreds of years, writers have experimented with the ghazal – a type of poem traditionally invoking themes of love, longing and loss. First written in pre-Islamic Arabia, the ghazal spread into Africa and Spain where it was used to ask political and religious questions. It has been central to Persian writing since the 13th century and is now appearing again in contemporary poetry.

Aviva Dautch has translated medieval Hebrew ghazals as well as writing her own to address Jewish identity and issues around Israel and Palestine. Recordings of her poems feature in The British Library’s Between Two Worlds: Poetry and Translation project.

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