Omar Sabbagh's poetry published by 'The Reader'

The latest issue of The Reader magazine features poetry from Omar Sabbagh, the London-based Lebanese poet who has been steadily making his mark on the British literary scene. This isn't the first time Sabbagh's poetry has been published in the magazine: 'Editor's Pick' in the Liverpool-based publication's issue 29, dedicated to "voices that should be heard", describes him as "one of The Reader's favourite new poets".

When The Reader published poetry by Sabbagh in issue 27, it said: "We have great new poetry by Omar Sabbagh, a poet (The Reader says) to look out for in the future. He’s got a strong voice, a decisive standpoint which makes you aware of his presence in the poems and which makes the sheer delicacy of his observations a surprise as well as a pleasure. More than anything when you read his poems, you are aware of the solidity and lightness of life."

Sabbagh is finishing an MA in Creative and Life Writing at Goldsmiths College. His poetry has appeared in Poetry Review, Agenda Online Broadsheet, Stand and The Warwick Review, and Stand will be publishing further poems from him.

Sabbagh's fellow contributors in issue 29 include poets David Constantine, John Kinsella, Kenneth Steven, Jeffrey Wainwright and Penny Fearn, as well as the novelist and critic A S Byatt (examining the ways that "novelists have taken up the slack after the absconding of God", Jewish novelist and essayist Howard Jacobson (taking apart Richard Dawkins), an "unusual" interview with Mark Rylance (actor and theatre director, starring in the new Hollywood release 'The Other Boleyn Girl'). Novelist Joanna Trollope is among those participating in a roundtable on William Wordsworth.

The Reader was launched in 1997 by three teachers from Liverpool University's Continuing Education department. "We are still providing a platform for personal and passionate responses to books, as well as identifying new and exciting writers."