Palestinian poet Mahmoud Darwish has died
Palestinian poet Mahmoud Darwish has died after surgery at the age of 67, hospital and Palestinian officials say.
Mr Darwish was the most recognised Palestinian poet in the world, using his words to try to draw attention to the Palestinian cause.
Mr Darwish is famous throughout the Middle East and is regarded as the Palestinian national poet.
He is said to have given voice to the Palestinian dreams of statehood, crafted their 1988 declaration of independence and helped to forge a Palestinian national identity.
He started out as a poet of resistance and then he became a poet of conscience, said Palestinian lawmaker Hanan Ashrawi, quoted by AP news agency.
He embodied the best in Palestinians... even though he became iconic he never lost his sense of humanity. We have lost part of our essence, the essence of the Palestinian being.
His poetry has been translated into more than 20 languages, and he has won many international prizes for his work.
From BBC.uk.com
