Through vivid vignettes and lyrical prose, The Iron Grasshopper transcends memoir, immersing readers in the poignant and turbulent realities of a Kurdish childhood in mid-twentieth-century Syria. 

Kurdish-Syrian poet and novelist Salim Barakat, one of the most distinctive writers in contemporary Arabic literature, has mesmerized the Arab literary scene since his first volume of poetry appeared in 1972. Now, his unique memoir—first published in 1980—is finally available in English translation. 

In The Iron Grasshopper, Barakat offers a poignant and evocative portrayal of his childhood. Set against the backdrop of the mid-twentieth century, Barakat’s memoir recounts his formative years in a small town near the Taurus Mountains. Through a series of vivid and often unsettling vignettes, he captures the turbulence and wonder of growing up in a landscape marked by political upheaval, cultural conflicts, and personal discovery. Barakat’s story intertwines childhood innocence with the harsh realities of violence and discrimination against Kurds, shaping his relationship with his homeland, the Arabic language, and his identity as a writer. The memoir’s rich prose and lyrical reflections invite readers into Barakat’s inner world, where the boundaries between past and present blur, and the simplicity of childhood is juxtaposed with profound existential musings.