In Babylon, Albion, Dalia Al-Dujaili explores the concept of belonging through nature, blending Arab and Islamic mythology with English pastoral traditions. She reflects on the land's heritage, from oak trees to date palms, offering a lyrical meditation on identity, land and the creatures we share it with.
I have ancient land inside of me.
Inside of me, there is a river.
In fact, rivers.
Inside of me, the Euphrates and the Tigris and the Nile converge to meet the pebbles of Brighton Beach, where my mother taught me the pure pleasure of a 99p Flake.
Whoever said nature is still has not borne witness to the migration of the seasons.
In this striking exploration of identity and place, Dalia Al-Dujaili considers what it means to belong in your land. Tracing the rich heritage of both the oak and the date palm, Iraqi marshes and Loch Ness monsters, Al-Dujaili marries Arab and Islamic mythology with the English and Christian pastoral. She draws from a rich array of sources to consider in a new light the communal lush, wild and at times, dark places we share.
A love song to Britain, Iraq and the body of earth we hold in common, Babylon, Albion is an urgent reimaging of what it means to be native.
