rock flight (Hasib Hourani, Giramondo)

Hasib Hourani’s debut, rock flight, is a structurally experimental long-form poem of grief, rage and resistance against the ongoing Israeli occupation of Palestine. Hourani’s voice is assertive, demanding attention from the reader while at the same time inviting us into his vulnerability. Best read in one sitting, rock flight’s vivid and compelling language places you in the scene of suffering and dares you not to look away. Hourani’s approach to form is playful and inventive, with sections structured as multiple-choice questions or sets of instructions—forms that typically have one logical answer or outcome. In rock flight, the instructions become increasingly abstract and difficult to enact. Answers unfold from each other, offering multiple possibilities. Using footnotes to cite supporting evidence, Hourani draws attention to and pre-empts the kinds of questioning Palestinians regularly receive about their lived experiences. He asks us to examine our internalised narratives. These footnotes collapse the space between the poem world and the real world, prompting us to keep looking. rock flight is a must-read for fans of Ocean Vuong and Aotearoa New Zealand poet Khadro Mohamed. With its striking imagery and motifs, Hourani’s writing brings his own life and the history of Palestine to the reader with an immediacy that makes it personal. This incredible debut dismantles any concept of a separation of art and politics with ease.

Books+Publishing reviewer: Ash Davida Jane is a writer, editor and publisher from Aotearoa New Zealand. Books+Publishing is Australia’s number-one source of pre-publication book reviews.

Category: Reviews