Love & Longing: Yearning for the Face of God
Love and Longing: Yearning for the Face of God, Sukina Noor’s debut poetry collection encapsulates the voice of a seeker in pursuit of nearness to the Divine. The poems are not set in a faraway land where gnostics and mystics gather under the stars but rather her journey begins in the heart of the city where towers of concrete and steel clutter the skyline. Her poems express that the heart can become enflamed with love of the Divine anywhere and her devotion and intoxication are captured in this collection. Her poetry leans into her femininity giving birth to verse that is both tender and powerful. Her collection articulates that following a pathway to God is not a pursuit from a bygone era, but rather one can set out on the journey right now. This collection is an invitation to join the caravan of Sacred Love and never turn back.
Sukina Noor is an internationally renowned poet, spoken-word artist, playwright, workshop facilitator, educator and public speaker who has toured extensively across UK, Europe, America and Africa performing, delivering poetry workshops, partaking in panel discussions and delivering lectures. Sukina has facilitated creative writing workshops across the world empowering participants to use their words as a way to access their authentic voice and awaken the voice of the heart. Sukina’s first play Afropean // Human Being premiered at the Royal Flemish Theatre (KVS) in Brussels in 2020. She delivered a Tedx Talk on the healing potential of poetry in Antwerp in 2017. She holds a BA (Hons) Degree in English Literature and Caribbean Studies and is currently pursuing an MSc in Creative Writing for Therapeutic Purposes with a focus on the healing potential in the poetry of the Sufi mystics of West Africa.
Reviews
‘Sukina’s verses bear a spiritual sensuality, enticing city dwellers from London to LA, transporting us to sacred, secret lands.’
Dr Jamillah Karim, author of Women of the Nation: Between Black Protest and Sunni Islam and American Muslim Women: Negotiating Race, Class, and Gender Within the Ummah.
‘Love and Longing will awaken the seeker from his slumber, and the work will serve as an important addition to any curriculum in the study of contemporary Sufism.’
Dr Zachary Wright, Professor of History and Religious Studies, Northwestern University in Qatar. Author of Realizing Islam: the Tijaniyya in North Africa and the 18th Century Muslim World.
‘Sukina Noor picks up the pen of Rabia al-Adawiyya.’
Shaykh Michael Mumisa PhD candidate and Cambridge Special Livingstone Scholar, University of Cambridge. Author of Introducing Arabic and Islamic Law: Theory and Interpretation.
‘Her poetry drips with devotion to the Sacred Presence and beckons us to draw near. Love and Longing shimmers with brilliant devotion, as it calls us stunningly home.’
Taya Ma Shere co-founder of Kohenet Hebrew Priestess Institute and co-author of The Hebrew Priestess: Ancient and New Visions of Jewish Women's Spiritual Leadership.
