Can literature save the world? According to celebrated 12th century Iranian Sufi mystic poet, Attar, it is not the world that needs saving, rather it is we who are in dire need of rescue—from the clutches of our own ego, that “cyclone of calamities.”

Sholeh Wolpé, accompanied by musician Siavash Sadr on the santoor, presents poems and selections from her translation of The Conference of the Birds in an uplifting performance that moves the soul.

Shelf Awareness Magazine writes, “A gifted Iranian-American poet beautifully explores love and the loss of love, beauty and war and the ghosts of the past.” Wolpé’s modern translation of The Conference of the Birds has been hailed by Reza Aslan as a translation that “is sure to be as timeless as the masterpiece itself.”

The Conference of the Birds is a brilliant story about our human struggle, both physical and spiritual. It is peppered with beguiling parables that not only guide and instruct, but also entertain. Sufi mystic poet Rumi considered Attar his master, calling him “the spirit” and himself “its shadow.” He wrote:

Attar traveled through all the seven cities of love

While I am only at the bend of the first alley.

To this day, the beauty and wisdom of Attar’s The Conference of the Birds remains unsurpassed. This book may not be able to change the world, but its magic is an antidote to the bitterest ego-concocted poison of our times: extremism.

Presented by UNSWriting
Introduced by Laetitia Nanquette

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