Inspired by the rich poetic tradition of the author's native Arab culture, To Love a Palestinian Woman includes works written over eight years. Richly evocative and often passionate, these poems can be described as personal and romantic, as well as public and political. While the condition in Palestine is a dominant theme, so is love. Conciliatory in tone or passionately confrontational, these poems stem from a deep humanity that cannot fail to engage the reader.

Ehab Lotayef's profile page

Ehab Lotayef was born in Cairo and moved to Montreal in 1989. He writes in English, classical Arabic and colloquial Egyptian Arabic. Besides writing poetry, he is also a photographer, Juno Award-nominated songwriter, and playwright. His play Crossing Gibraltar was produced in 2005 by CBC Radio. A fervent activist for the end of conflict in Gaza and the Middle East, Ehab makes frequent trips to Palestine, and recently organized the Gaza Freedom March in Montreal. Ehab works as an Information Engineer at McGill University.

"His poetry reflects a genuine universal concern for the human condition: a welcome combination of a poetic talent with strong commitment to justice." --Yakov Rabkin, University of Montreal

"Listening to Ehab Lotayef read his poems [...] I begin to believe again that poetry matters. I am reminded of Yevgeny Yevtushenko, Allen Ginsberg and other poets [...] who challenged the beliefs of their times, who were not afraid to enter the political fray and who went on to become the conscience of a generation." --Angela Leuck, author of Flower Heart

"[A]n expression of the struggle against injustices, near and far, fully connected and fully involved." --Diaspora Dialogues