We begin the week on My Poetic Side with articles about the funeral of Amire-Hushang Ebtehaj, the autumn programme for Seamus Heaney HomePlace and the anniversary of the death of Kazi Nazrul Islam.

Iran Bids Goodbye to Amir-Hushang Ebtehaj

Last week we brought you a story about the renowned Iranian poet, Amir-Hushang Ebtehaj, who wrote using the pseudonym “Sayeh” and died in Germany. Requests to repatriate the poet’s body to Iran had been denied.

On Thursday, following a change of decision, his body was flown home from Germany for burial. The request for repatriation had originally been denied when one of his daughters applied to the court however, it would appear that she had a change of heart. The body was sent to Tehran so that devotees of the poet could say goodbye to someone who had been seen as a literary icon.

The body was taken to the poet’s former home in Tehran, where he composed his famous poem “Judas Tree”. People gathered and recited that poem and also a number of other verses that the poet had written. Following this public gathering, the poet’s body was transferred to Rasht where a funeral was held on Saturday, this was in accordance with Ebtehaj’s wishes to one day return to Rasht where he felt he belonged.

Seamus Heaney HomePlace Announces Autumn Programme

An incredible line-up that includes internationally acclaimed poets, writers and musicians has been put for this autumn with the unveiling of the most recent events programme for Seamus Heaney HomePlace. The first performance of the season will be Enoch Arden, the epic melodrama from Strauss. This will take place on 4th September and will feature Rory Kinnear, the award-winning actor and with music by Julius Drake, the pianist.

The musical portion of the programme for the autumn will include blues, classical, jazz, soul and gospel, with some traditional Irish music thrown in for good measure.

There will be a show from Owen O’Neil in September which will combine storytelling and poetry in a comedy rendition titled “The Whole Nine Yards”. Dr John Cooper Clarke will be joining the programme in October. The “Poet Laureate of Punk”, who is also a fashion icon, will be taking part with a selection of spoken word, off-the-wall chat and, of course, poetry.

This year Seamus Heaney HomePlace has pulled out plenty of the stops in order to put together what promises to be a really incredible programme showcasing the best there is to offer.

Death Anniversary of Kazi Nazrul Islam Observed

The 46^th death anniversary of the national poet of Bangladesh, Kazi Nazrul Islam, was observed over the weekend. A programme of events was held in Dhaka to pay tribute to the poet, who was sometimes referred to as the “rebel poet”.

A floral wreath was laid on the poet’s grave by the Secretary for the Ministry of Culture, and a number of other government officials paid tribute to Kazi Nazrul Islam. There were also poetry readings, singing and staging of drama which took place throughout the day.