\n
And it’s bold. And that’s because in this October release from Penguin Press, The Conference of the Birds<\/a><\/strong><\/em>, S\u00eds takes an ancient Persian poem, approximately 4,500 lines long, and extracts its very essence—in this beautifully-designed book (o! the very paper it’s printed on!) with S\u00eds’ signature illustrations, geometrically beguiling and full of symbolism—in a manner that is accessible for modern readers. (Note the timeliness of the “upheaval” spread below.)<\/p>\n The poem, written by Persian Farid Ud-Din Attar<\/a><\/strong> in 1177 (S\u00eds notes he was first inspired by this 1984 translation<\/a><\/strong> from Dick Davis), tells the story of a gathering of the birds of the world, who have no king and who set out on a quest—as suggested by the hoopoe, the wisest of them all—to find the legendary Simorgh. The Simorgh, the hoopoe tells the birds, will have all the answers. Warning the birds about the journey’s challenges (“Love loves difficult things”), the hoopoe leads them across seven valleys—Quest, Love, Understanding, Detachment, Unity, Amazement, and Death. When they finally reach the Simorgh, they discover that “Simorgh the king was them.” Or, as noted in this excellent NPR piece<\/a><\/strong>, the “only authority the birds need lies within them. It’s this impulse to seek out a savior \u2014 and its futility \u2014 that give the birds’ mission its universality and particular poignancy.”<\/p>\n S\u00eds, pictured above, re-tells the story of this epic set of poems with a compelling economy and lavish illustrations. The NPR link also includes, for fellow illustration junkies, thoughts from S\u00eds on the challenges of depicting huge flocks of birds. He also addresses the “profoundly emotional” symbolism of birds for him; in the book’s closing he also notes, <\/p>\n For as long as I can remember, I have loved to draw pictures of flying—freedom—and birds. All kinds of birds: human-face birds, fish birds, snake birds. I used them in my animated films, posters, record covers, and illustrations…<\/p><\/blockquote>\n It is a wonder to see S\u00eds’ colors explode in the book’s final spreads. I don’t have those to show you today, but I do have some opening spreads, since the art says more than I ever could. I also close with an interview a friend conducted—Kate Pritchard<\/a><\/strong>, Associate Editor at BookPage<\/strong><\/a><\/em>—with Peter from BEA 2011, in which he discusses this book (as well as the tantalizing notion of chick-lit, S\u00eds-style). <\/p>\n Enjoy. <\/p>\nIf you’re a regular reader here at 7-Imp, you’re most likely a devoted follower of children’s picture books and contemporary illustration. This also means you likely know the work of author\/illustrator Peter S\u00eds<\/a><\/strong> — and probably know it well. Today, I feature his first book aimed at adult readers. (You’ll see in the below video that S\u00eds sees it as a book for all ages, though—as he put it—the market determined it was for adults.) Fans of S\u00eds may not be surprised to read it’s a feast for one’s eyes, elegantly illustrated and lovingly rendered. <\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/a>
\n
and are addressed by the hoopoe bird.”<\/em>
(Click to enlarge)<\/center><\/p>\n<\/a>
\n<\/a>
\n
(Click to enlarge)<\/center><\/p>\n<\/a>
\n
(Click to enlarge)<\/center><\/p>\n