In his first English-language collection, Moroccan-Dutch poet Mustafa Stitou marks his position as one of the most important poets of his generation. Two Half Faces collects work from across Stitou's career as he grapples in his poetry with his position in a changing reality. Stitou brilliantly parlays his relationship with his two homelands into a chronicle of identity, producing a vital account of cultural friction in poems that range from narrative to lyrical. Humor and seriousness go hand in hand, and the everyday combines with the surreal and the sublime to form a vibrant tension. This collection charts Stitou's progress as a poet of emotion and intellect, one who poignantly illuminates the ambiguities of cultural identities, and the intersections of our inner and outer worlds.

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About the Author

Mustafa Stitou was born in Tetouan, Morocco, in 1974, and grew up in Lelystad, in the Netherlands. He currently lives in Amsterdam, where he studied philosophy at the UvA. He has published four collections of poetry: Mijn vormen (My Forms, 1994), Mijn gedichten (My Poems, 1998), Varkensroze ansichten (Pig-Pink Picture Postcards, 2003), and Tempel (Temple, 2013). He is the recipient of the VSB Poetry Prize, the Jan Campert Prize, the Awater Poetry Prize, and the A. Roland Holst Award.

Reviews
One of World Literature Today's Notable Translations of 2020

Winner of the VSB Poetry Prize and the Jan Campert Prize

City Poet of Amsterdam 2009

"If the essence of poetry is to break with expectations, Mustafa Stitou is conceivably an ideal poet. " -Mischa Andriessen, Poetry International

"A pleasure to read and reread. Stitou: a highly interesting young Dutch Poet. Remember that name." -Peter de Boer, Trouw

"The most important poet of his generation." -Piet Gebrandy, de Volkskrant



Book Information
ISBN 9781646050314
Author Mustafa Stitou
Format Paperback
Page Count 220
Imprint Deep Vellum Publishing
Publisher Deep Vellum Publishing