New books by Sholeh Wolpé
“Sholeh Wolpé’s stunning new translation renders Attar’s engaging, singular voice with wit and flourish.” — Literary Hub
“The Conference of the Birds has fascinated writers from Rumi to Borges, and Wolpé’s translation strives to make Attar’s unorthodox and mystical vision accessible to contemporary Western readers.” — Guernica
“In this beautiful rendering of Attar’s Conference of the Birds, Sholeh Wolpe, herself a passionate poet, transports us to another time, another language & another world, while reminding us of how enduring & universal great works of imagination are, how they create spaces within which we not only acknowledge and appreciate our differences but also recognize & celebrate our shared humanity. Only a true poet could achieve such a feat.” — Azar Nafisi, author of Reading Lolita in Tehran
“One of 8+ Beautiful, Contemporary Novels Written in Verse That Make Poetry Accessible.” –Mary Sue Magazine
“Abacus of Loss is a remarkable achievement, an unforgettable text.” – Kaveh Akbar, author of Martyr!
“Abacus of Loss examines the masks of patriarchy in powerful metaphor and narrative.” –Colorado Review
“One of 17 Poetry Collections to read during Women’s History Month” –The Orion Journal
“Abacus of Loss examines the masks of patriarchy in powerful metaphor and narrative.” –Colorado Reviw
“Voz de mujer, voz poderosa y rebelde, no resignada, es la de la poeta, y mujer que construye su pensamiento contra las barreras que se le imponen, sea en las relaciones sociales o en el amor, asunto también del poemario, pero no todo se puede abordar en una reseña.” –Diario de Leon
Sholeh Wolpé is an Iranian-American poet, writer, and librettist. Her literary work includes seven collections of poetry, several plays, five books of translations and three anthologies, as well as texts and librettos for the choir and opera.
Her most recent work include , The Invisible Sun – Attar (Harper Collins), Abacus of Loss: A Memoir in Verse (University of Arkansas Press), Abaco de Perdida (Visor Libros, España ), Song of Exile for choir and Nava Avaz, a full length opera for 6 composers (premiere 2027). Her translations of Iranian poetry, in particular 12th century Sufi mystic poet Attar, and 20th century Iranian rebel poet Forugh Farrokhzad have garnered awards and established Wolpé a as a celebrated re-creator of Persian poetry into English.
She is the recipient of Opera America Discovery Award as well as a PEN America Poetry in Translation Long List, PEN/Heim, Midwest Book Award, and the Lois Roth Translation Prize. She is the Writer-In-Residence at the University of California, Irvine (UCI), and the poetry editor at The Markaz Review. She has lived in Iran, Trinidad, and United Kingdom and presently divides her time between California and Barcelona.
Sholeh Wolpé, photo by Sophie Kandaouroff
Sholeh Wolpé was the subject of the Metropolitan Museum of Art Spotlight.
