Myths and Traffic Lights

By Alara Adilow

Alara Adilow (b. 1988) is an award-winning Dutch poet of Somali origin, living in Amsterdam. She shot to fame with this debut collection, written during her transition from man to woman. Adilow explores concepts of gender ('nobody has ever seen a real woman'), she writes about the mismatch between body and consciousness, and brings into focus the harsh realities confronting her on a daily basis: 'I just want to do my shopping as a woman' and not 'as if I'm a post-feminist work of art.' Blending the raw and the lyrical, this passionate and erudite collection takes the reader on a wild journey, where speaker and surroundings are constantly being redefined.

'In the evening I sew new fabrics onto the representations of woman that I bought in a second-hand shop. Some are threadbare, some brand-new; never worn, thrown out in flawless condition. Perhaps they didn't suit the wearer, or they were too expensive. Some were dusty and covered in grease and bloodstains, dried up milk, so I had to clean them but then the colours and structures of some representations faded. They say: nobody knows what a woman really is, and nobody has ever seen a real woman.' (from 'Craftwork')

"With a subtle sense of language, Alara Adilow infuses a sharp reflection on contemporary life with a love for the fabulous. This is poetry that is always one step ahead of the reader. A pleasure to read." -Maria Barnas

"What begins as the rebirth of a person, ends in the birth of a new poet who plays with and winks at existing poetry, and offers us her own unique contribution." -Jury Report, De Grote Po zieprijs, 2023

"When the body doesn't fit the language, you adapt the language; I see that simple and effective reversal in Myths and Traffic Lights. Adilow runs off with the Dutch language, making it her own, in search of a space where her body and her poetry can fit. It is a risky and confronting quest." -Obe Alkema, NRC

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1837380317
• ISBN13: 9781837380312
• Release Date: July 2026
• Publisher: Shearsman Books
• Length: 114 Pages
• Weight: 0.36 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.3" x 6.0" x 9.0"