The story of Layla and Majnun, made immortal by the Persian poet Nizami Ganjavi in the 12th century, has been retold thousands of times, in thousands of different ways, throughout literature. Against the backdrop of this story, to the soundtrack of modern hip-hop, and amid the struggle of an immigrant family to instill an old faith under new conditions, Irfan Ali’s Accretion hurtles toward an unsustainable, “greater madness.” Majnun, one of the foundational literary characters who haunt Accretion, is also an Arabic epithet for “possessed.” In this tradition, Ali has written a book from the places where the self is no longer the self; places where, in order not to shut down forever, the debris must be cleared, and the soul must inch toward love and hope, “on memory’s dusty beams.”

Accretion is written in a contemporary lyricism that honours ancient poetic traditions. It is a familiar story, imbued with a particularity and honesty that only Irfan Ali could bring to the table.

Praise for Accretion:

“Accretion, Irfan Ali’s triumph of a debut, masterfully unravels the third culture experience with deceiving simplicity, humour, grace and candour. Standing at the threshold of what it means to be a son, a South Asian man, a Muslim, and a human, Ali resists the temptation of binaries—faith is not linear, identity is not fixed, and culture is not singular. Ali’s genius lies in his effortless ability to hold space for what is unsaid and unknown. Like Majnun from the famous Sufi fable, Ali sets out on a journey only to discover that his Beloved is the mirror within him.” — Jury Citation, 2021 Trillium Book Award for Poetry 

“Irfan Ali delves fearlessly into the beauty and cruelty of a utilitarian city and the chasms between people. The struggle between head and heart binds these poems. In fact, Accretion might be considered a roadmap for finding love in everything—ourselves, family, soul mates, urban life, and faith.” — Emily Pohl-Weary, author of Ghost Sick

Press Coverage:

“A lot of 21st-century English-language poetry has been marked by an irreverent and implicitly self-absolving stance toward truth and meaning. What stands out about the poems in Irfan Ali’s debut collection is their humility. Faith and cynicism, love and betrayal, self-loathing and forgiveness: these themes are unified by an earnest devotion to the pursuit of clarity, despite life’s contradictions.” – Bardia Sinaee, Quill & Quire

“The migration of people means the movement of stories. In Accretion, Ali embeds the story of Layla and Majnun into the world of his Toronto. People might physically relocate, but the themes that dominate folktales have their way of keeping a hold on our lives.” – Manahil Bandukwala, The Malahat Review

29 works of Canadian poetry to watch for in spring 2020 — CBC 

Most Anticipated: Spring 2020 Poetry Preview — 49th Shelf